scat·ter·ing
ˈska-tə-riŋ 
2
: something scattered: such as
a
: a small number or quantity interspersed here and there
a scattering of visitors
b
: the random change in direction of the particles constituting a beam or wave front due to collision with particles of the medium traversed
1
: going in various directions
2
: found or placed far apart and in no order
3
: divided among many or several
scattering votes
Examples of scattering in a Sentence
Noun
the scattering of the protesters suddenly turned violent and chaotic
a scattering of people in the mostly empty theater
Recent Examples on the Web
Tori Crowther, Allure, 11 Apr. 2025
Will Poulter in Warfare Courtesy of A24 But if a movie can be elegant and brutal at once, this one is: the dissipating smoke from the grenade hangs in the air, a pinkish-gold mist; polka dots of sunlight stream through a scattering of bullet holes in a door.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 11 Apr. 2025
This description is a consequence of the Rayleigh scattering of sunlight in the atmosphere, in conjunction with the reflection and scattering across the expanse of the ocean.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Blue Ghost’s Lunar Sunrise This Raleigh scattering sees blue and violet short-wavelength light strike atoms in Earth's atmosphere and scatter while long-wavelength red and orange light bends onto the lunar surface.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The minimalist design features a baby pink base with a pastel yellow accent nail plus a scattering of multicolor sprinkles.
—Tori Crowther, Allure, 11 Apr. 2025
Will Poulter in Warfare Courtesy of A24 But if a movie can be elegant and brutal at once, this one is: the dissipating smoke from the grenade hangs in the air, a pinkish-gold mist; polka dots of sunlight stream through a scattering of bullet holes in a door.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 11 Apr. 2025
This description is a consequence of the Rayleigh scattering of sunlight in the atmosphere, in conjunction with the reflection and scattering across the expanse of the ocean.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Blue Ghost’s Lunar Sunrise This Raleigh scattering sees blue and violet short-wavelength light strike atoms in Earth's atmosphere and scatter while long-wavelength red and orange light bends onto the lunar surface.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Cite this Entry
“Scattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scattering. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scattering
1 of 2 noun
scat·ter·ing
ˈskat-ə-riŋ
1
: an act or process in which something scatters or is scattered
2
: something scattered
especially
: a small number or amount placed or found here and there
a scattering of visitors
scattering
2 of 2 adjective1
: going in various directions
2
: found or placed far apart and in no pattern
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share