ENGLISH
REFERENCE

interspersed

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˌɪntɝˈspɝst// UK //ˌɪntəspˈɜːsd// in·ter·spersed

adj. placed or scattered at intervals among other things. You use it to describe something that is mixed in here and there rather than being all in one spot.

adj. distributed at intervals or scattered among other items. Often used as a participial adjective to describe a pattern of distribution within a larger set.


SIMPLE

The book has short poems interspersed with colorful drawings.

CONTEXTUAL

The long, technical presentation was interspersed with brief breaks to keep the audience engaged.

COMPLEX

The ancient forest consists primarily of oak trees, interspersed with occasional clusters of silver birch that thrive in the sunnier clearings.

Synonyms
Usage

Often follows a linking verb or is used in the passive construction 'be interspersed with'.

Pitfall

interspersed betweeninterspersed withWhile 'between' is used for two distinct points, 'with' is the standard preposition used to describe the items mixed into the main group.

© 2026 English Reference