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
Lee Billings, Scientific American, 14 Jan. 2026
At lower temperatures, the transparent wood remains more light-scattering, helping prevent interiors from becoming visible at night when indoor lighting is on.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
This disturbance could provide a scattering of mainly light showers as early as Tuesday morning.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
Serve with a scattering of fresh parsley and extra lemon wedges for a bright finish.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
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Noun
The crux of contention, Nemmen says, is just how much ionized gas a cocoon would hold, and thus how much electron scattering would interfere with measuring a lurking black hole’s actual mass.
—Cite this Entry
“Scattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scattering. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Kids 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
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