Intermittent definition: stopping or ceasing for a time ; alternately ceasing and beginning again.. See examples of INTERMITTENT used in a sentence. The meaning of INTERMITTENT is coming and going at intervals : not continuous; also : occasional. How to use intermittent in a sentence. Intermittent means happening occasionally rather than continuously. Learn the synonyms, pronunciation, grammar and usage of intermittent with examples from Collins English Dictionary. History and Origin The word “ intermittent ” comes from the Latin verb “intermittere,” meaning “to leave off” or “to interrupt.” This Latin word is a combination of “inter-“ meaning “between” and “mittere,” meaning “to send” or “to let go.” The term has been used in English since the late 16th century to describe actions or phenomena that are interrupted or occur at irregular intervals, as opposed to continuous processes.
