smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsma-tə-riŋ 
1
: superficial piecemeal knowledge
… a smattering of carpentry, house painting, bricklaying …—
Alva Johnston
Alva Johnston2
: 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
For a day out with her dad, Scott Swift, on Monday, April 27, the 36-year-old superstar accessorized her blue and white pinstripe midi dress from Nordstrom with a smattering of diamond and opal jewelry.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
This Monday, however, the 2,030 foot-long pool sat completely empty, save for a smattering of construction vehicles, portable toilets and traffic cones.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
What started last year with Texas Republicans drawing five GOP-leaning seats was met with California Democrats drawing their own five favorable seats, followed by a smattering of other states redistricting for partisan advantage.
—Alicia Diaz, Bloomberg, 21 Apr. 2026
Save for a smattering of Stake gambling streams, Drake went quiet for the rest of last year.
—Karen Bliss, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026
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Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
This Monday, however, the 2,030 foot-long pool sat completely empty, save for a smattering of construction vehicles, portable toilets and traffic cones.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
What started last year with Texas Republicans drawing five GOP-leaning seats was met with California Democrats drawing their own five favorable seats, followed by a smattering of other states redistricting for partisan advantage.
—Alicia Diaz, Bloomberg, 21 Apr. 2026
Save for a smattering of Stake gambling streams, Drake went quiet for the rest of last year.
—Karen Bliss, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smattering
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smattering. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsmat-ə-riŋ
1
: a small amount of knowledge
a smattering of French
2
: a small scattered number
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