scattered over time

USAGE SUMMARY

"scattered over time" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to describe something that is spread out over a period of time or is taking place over a period of time. For example, "My family is scattered over time, with some members in the United States, some in Europe, and some in South America."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Scattered over time, another year or so in London.

The Guardian - Books

Reality is different due to two real-world phenomena that cause clock edges to get scattered over time.

Top-Down Digital VLSI Design From Architectures to Gate-Level Circuits and FPGAs

By analogy, group signalling dynamics should begin with randomly occurring individual calls scattered over time and converge towards a few, high-intensity acoustic peaks (produced by several near-synchronous individuals).

Biology Letters

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The fact that copies of parts of the code have been discovered in other nations scattered over a millennium of time confirms that the code had a lasting importance in the ancient Middle East, even in countries where it no longer was in force.

Encyclopedia Britannica

A-optimal decisions are mostly bi-modal between experiments 9 and 18, in which PI4KIIIβ and CERT are overexpressed, while about 15% of the decisions are scattered over various experiments and time points.

Bioinformatics

IT would have been hard for Mr. Tuki not to have taken note of the monoliths his ancestors erected: there are perhaps a thousand of them, as tall as 50 feet tall, scattered over an island three times the size of Manhattan.

The New York Times

In α1β2γ2, late reopenings of receptors exiting from a slow desensitized state could be scattered over a long period of time, producing undetectable macroscopic currents.

European Journal of Neuroscience

In this situation, late openings, following sojourns in strongly absorbing desensitized state(s), could be scattered over a long period of time yielding an undetectable contribution to the macroscopic currents.

European Journal of Neuroscience

Occupying a very small total land mass, it is scattered over an ocean expanse five times the size of France.

BBC

D) We have demonstrated CtpS disassembly in the experiment of Figure 1C by including a supplemental figure showing the corresponding light scattering change over time.

eLife

The rest of the time, birds were scattered over the surrounding area, carrying off food to cache or eat in private.

Animal Behaviour

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "scattered over time" to describe non-continuous events or elements that are separated by intervals, rather than a continuous process.

Common error

Avoid using "scattered over time" when describing a consistently present phenomenon. This phrase implies a distribution with gaps or separations, not a continuous state.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "scattered over time" functions as an adverbial modifier, describing how events, objects, or information are distributed across a period. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "scattered over time" is used to describe elements distributed across a period, emphasizing their non-continuous presence. Ludwig AI confirms that this is correct and usable in written English. The phrase commonly appears in scientific and news contexts, conveying the idea of events or items being spread out, not concentrated. Alternatives like "distributed across time" offer similar meanings with subtle differences. When using "scattered over time", ensure it aligns with the intended message of non-continuous or random distribution to avoid misuse. Example sources include The New York Times, The Guardian, and Wikipedia.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Distributed across time

Replaces "scattered" with "distributed", emphasizing a more organized or planned arrangement.

Spread out over time

Uses "spread out" instead of "scattered", suggesting a gradual or even distribution.

Occurring throughout time

Focuses on the occurrence of events rather than their physical scattering.

Dispersed across the timeline

Employs "dispersed" and "timeline" for a more formal or technical tone.

Unfolding over a period

Highlights the unfolding or development of something over a duration.

Evolving over time

Suggests a process of change and development rather than simple distribution.

Existing across epochs

Implies existence across very long periods, using a more grandiose term.

Interspersed throughout the ages

Combines scattering with the concept of being interspersed, highlighting intermixing.

Fragmented across history

Emphasizes a broken or incomplete distribution over historical time.

Randomly appearing in history

Focuses on the randomness of events appearing, removing the scattering aspect.

FAQs

How can I use "scattered over time" in a sentence?

You can use "scattered over time" to describe events or objects that are distributed across a period, such as, "Memories of the event were "scattered over time", making a complete recollection difficult."

What does "scattered over time" mean?

"Scattered over time" signifies that something is not concentrated at one point but is instead distributed or spread out across a duration or period.

Which is a more formal alternative to "scattered over time"?

A more formal alternative could be "distributed across time", which suggests a more organized or intentional spreading of elements.

What is the difference between "spread over time" and "scattered over time"?

"Spread over time" suggests a more even or gradual distribution, whereas "scattered over time" implies a more random or discontinuous arrangement.