Meaning & use
episodic
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Happening at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady.
Grammar: Often used before a noun: episodic headaches; can also follow a linking verb: the pain is episodic.
Patterns
- episodic pain
- episodic memory
- episodic events
Her migraines are episodic, occurring only a few times a year.
The region experiences episodic droughts followed by heavy rains.
His attendance at the gym has been episodic rather than regular.
adjectivecomparable
Consisting of a series of separate parts or episodes, rather than one continuous story.
Grammar: Used to describe stories, films, or narratives: an episodic novel.
Patterns
- episodic narrative
- episodic series
- episodic structure
The novel has an episodic structure, with each chapter telling a different adventure.
The TV show is episodic, so you can watch the episodes in any order.
His memoir is episodic, jumping between different periods of his life.
Word forms
| comparative | more episodic |
|---|---|
| superlative | most episodic |
Common combinations
- episodic memory
- Episodic memory allows you to recall specific events from your past.
- episodic pain
- The patient described episodic pain in her lower back.
- episodic nature
- The episodic nature of the disease makes it hard to predict.
- episodic television
- Episodic television was common before streaming services popularized serialized shows.
Synonyms and how they differ
- intermittent
- Similar meaning of stopping and starting, but intermittent often suggests more regular gaps; episodic emphasizes irregularity.
- occasional
- Means happening from time to time, but doesn't imply a pattern of separate episodes.
- sporadic
- Very close, but sporadic often implies scattered and unpredictable, while episodic can also refer to structured episodes.
Opposites
Word family
- episode noun
- A single event or a part of a series.
- episodically adverb
- In an episodic manner; irregularly or in episodes.
Commonly confused: episodic or episodic?
episodic vs episodic
Sometimes confused with 'episodic' and 'episodical', but 'episodical' is rare and not standard.
Practice
The patient's symptoms were ______, appearing only during certain seasons.
Choose one answer.
The sentence needs an adjective to describe 'symptoms', so 'episodic' is correct. 'Episode' is a noun and cannot modify 'symptoms'. 'Episodically' is an adverb and would modify a verb, not a noun. 'Episodes' is a plural noun and would not fit grammatically.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “episodic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.