intermittEnt

Intermittent is an adjective describing something that occurs at irregular intervals or that stops and restarts rather than continuing in a steady, unbroken way. It implies a pattern of interruptions rather than a constant state and can apply to phenomena, symptoms, processes, or signals. For example, intermittent rain arrives in showers rather than a continuous downpour, and intermittent pain arises in episodes rather than as a constant ache.

Origin and form: the word comes from Latin intermittens, the present participle of intermittere, meaning to let go between or to discontinue. The English form emerged in the mid-17th century. The term conveys a sense of interrupted continuity rather than complete absence.

Intermittent is often contrasted with periodic, which implies regular recurrence at fixed intervals. It is also related to sporadic, though sporadic emphasizes rarity or scattered occurrences. In many technical domains, intermittence or intermittency describes faults, signals, or behaviors that appear unpredictably or irregularly, such as intermittent connectivity, intermittent faults in machinery, or intermittent weather patterns.

In medical contexts, intermittent describes symptoms that occur in episodes separated by calm periods, guiding diagnosis and treatment. The word remains neutral and descriptive, signaling variability in timing rather than a uniform pattern.