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intermittency

intermittency

2 9.3
A pattern of something happening sometimes and stopping at other times
  • noun
  • /ˌɪntərˈmɪtənsɪ/
translation icon : intermitencia
  • I just keep hearing the twin complaints of 'Intermittency' and 'Grid Overloading' as reasons apparently not to invest in wind.

Examples

  • The same would also apply to wind, although admittedly it has greater logistical issues due to intermittency.

    Blog text (1)
  • The intermittency of the power supply caused frequent outages in the neighborhood.

  • Where did I not point out the intermittency issues?

    Blog text (5)
  • And the intermittency is a problem that has to be dealt with.

  • We are building wind power, and due to its intermittency, we balance this with ever-increasing amounts of Russian natural gas.

    Blog text (5)
  • I love the idea of solar power, but costs and intermittency are a problem at present for solar PV.

    Blog text (32)
  • Nighttime excess production is actually a bigger problem for wind than intermittency.

    Blog text (1)
  • The third way is to adapt our consumption patterns to the intermittency of renewables.

    Blog text (28)
  • And intermittency needn't be a huge problem; it's just an economic variable that can be quantified.

    Blog text (32)
  • Perhaps the greatest economic obstacle to solar power is the problem referred to in the industry as "intermittency" — the fact that the sun doesn't always shine and thus solar plants are not reliable sources of electricity.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

intermittence
vsintermittency
8.7

A state of starting and stopping at irregular times

has identical meaning but is an alternative noun form
episodicity
vsintermittency
9.9

Happening at separate times rather than all the time

refers more generally to irregular occurrences or breaks over time
burstiness
vsintermittency
7.7

A way of happening in sudden, irregular bursts rather than at a steady rate

describes irregular occurrences without implying sudden intense spikes

Antonyms

52 4.7

A situation where things stay the same or keep happening without big changes

How Intermittent

irregularity
13 5.1
intermittency
2 9.3
regularity
19 3.3
continuity
52 4.7

Surface Forms

intermittency singular

Morphology

intermittency = intermittent (transparent) = inter + mit + ency

Standard noun formation from the adjective 'intermittent' using the noun-forming suffix '-ency', yielding 'the state or quality of being intermittent'.

Etymology

Intermittency comes from Latin parts inter- 'between' and mittere 'to send', the same root you see in transmit and intermittent. So, imagine something being sent now and then with breaks in between — that is why intermittency means happening at irregular times or with gaps.