Intermittente

Intermittente is an Italian adjective meaning occurring at irregular intervals, not continuous, or alternating with periods of activity and inactivity. The term is used across disciplines to describe processes, symptoms, or phenomena that recur intermittently rather than persistently.

Etymology: It comes from Latin intermittere, "to let go between," from inter- "between" and mittere "to send." In Italian the adjective forms regularly with number and gender, e.g., dolore intermittente (singular), dolori intermittenti (plural).

Common uses: In medicine, symptoms described as intermittent include fever, pain, or episodes that appear and disappear. In science and engineering, it is used for processes such as intermittent signals, intermittent faults, or intermittent energy sources like solar and wind power, which do not run at a constant rate. In information technology and communications, terms like connettività intermittente and interruzioni intermittenti describe non-continuous connectivity or service interruptions. In geology or climatology, patterns or events may be described as intermittent if they recur irregularly.

Impact: Intermittent phenomena complicate diagnosis, data interpretation, and infrastructure planning, because timing and duration are unpredictable. Mitigation strategies include thorough monitoring, redundancy, storage capacity, and demand-side management to smooth intermittent supply or service.

See also: intermittent (English), intermittency, intermittent fasting (health contexts).

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