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Sometimes vs Sporadically - What's the difference?

sometimes | sporadically |

As adverbs the difference between sometimes and sporadically

is that sometimes is on certain occasions, or in certain circumstances, but not always while sporadically is at an occasional, infrequent, or irregular frequency.

As an adjective sometimes

is (obsolete) former; sometime.

sometimes

English

Adverb

(-)
  • On certain occasions, or in certain circumstances, but not always.
  • * (Jeremy Taylor)
  • It is good that we sometimes be contradicted.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=We made an odd party before the arrival of the Ten, particularly when the Celebrity dropped in for lunch or dinner. He could not be induced to remain permanently at Mohair because Miss Trevor was at Asquith, but he appropriated a Hempstead cart from the Mohair stables and made the trip sometimes twice in a day.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-08, volume=407, issue=8839, page=55, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Obama goes troll-hunting , passage=The solitary, lumbering trolls of Scandinavian mythology would sometimes be turned to stone by exposure to sunlight. Barack Obama is hoping that several measures announced on June 4th will have a similarly paralysing effect on their modern incarnation, the patent troll.}}
  • (obsolete) On a certain occasion in the past; once.
  • * (William Shakespeare)
  • That fair and warlike form / In which the majesty of buried Denmark / Did sometimes march.
  • * :
  • For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
  • *, II.3.7:
  • they detract, scoffe, and raile (saith one), and bark at me on every side; but I, like that Albanian dog sometimes given to Alexander for a present, vindico me ab illis solo contemptu ; I lie still, and sleep, vindicate myself by contempt alone.

    Synonyms

    * at one time or another * at times * every so often * from time to time * occasionally * once in a while

    See also

    * sometime

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (obsolete) former; sometime
  • Thy sometimes brother's wife. — Shakespeare.

    sporadically

    English

    Adverb

    (-)
  • At an occasional, infrequent, or irregular frequency
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=September 28 , author=Jon Smith , title=Valencia 1 - 1 Chelsea , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Valencia threatened sporadically in the first half with Miguel having a decent effort deflected wide by Ashley Cole, while Jordi Alba's near-post cross was flicked into the sidenetting by Pablo Hernandez.}}

    Synonyms

    * intermittently