smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsma-tə-riŋ 
1
: superficial piecemeal knowledge
… a smattering of carpentry, house painting, bricklaying …—
Alva Johnston
2
: a small scattered number or amount
a smattering of spectators
Examples of smattering in a Sentence
She only knows a smattering of German.
a smattering of guests at the art exhibit
Recent Examples on the Web
If the game stays close late, that might lead to some uncomfortable shifting in seats or perhaps a smattering of polite boos?
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
The nation’s largest banks kick off earnings next week, led by JPMorgan Chase , Citigroup , Wells Fargo , and joined by a smattering of regional banks.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026
Adler Planetarium, the Art Institute of Chicago and other museums have a smattering of free days for Illinois residents in the next couple of months, too.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Their return to the stage continues this year with another slate of North American shows set for the spring, including two nights at Red Rocks, plus a smattering of dates supporting country superstar Zach Bryan.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smattering
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.
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smattering. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsmat-ə-riŋ
1
: a small amount of knowledge
a smattering of French
2
: a small scattered number
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
