cyclical

American  

[sahy-kli-kuhl, sik-li-] / ˈsaɪ klɪ kəl, ˈsɪk lɪ- /

adjective

1. cyclic.

2. of or denoting a business or stock whose income, value, or earnings fluctuate widely according to variations in the economy or the cycle of the seasons.

   Selling Christmas decorations is a cyclical business.

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noun

1. Usually cyclicals. stocks of cyclical companies.

Other Word Forms

• cyclicality
  noun
• cyclically
  adverb
• noncyclical
  adjective
• noncyclically
  adverb
• procyclical
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cyclical

First recorded in 1810–20; cyclic + -al ¹

Explanation

Though day-to-day weather changes are unpredictable, nature’s seasons can always be counted on to move in cyclical or predictable patterns. Cyclical is used to describe things that are regularly patterned or that occur in regular intervals. The root of cyclical is “cycle” which means movement in a circular fashion, or the circular fashion itself. Planets orbit the sun in cyclical patterns, the moon’s phases are cyclical as well. Some stock brokers say that the market is cyclical, but that may be just a way of telling people to keep investing when it's down.

Example Sentences

Cyclical stocks, on the other hand, are closely tied to the economic cycle.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

Cyclical stocks have beaten defensive companies better able to withstand a weak economy, even when tech stocks are excluded.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

Cyclical companies make up 16% or 17% of the S&P 500.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

Cyclical ocean conditions also have placed more stress on phytoplankton.

From Washington Post • Jan. 19, 2023

The Cyclical Characters were closely examined, and put in front of the ancestral tablet, incense being lighted before them morning and evening.

From Everlasting Pearl One of China's Women by Johannsen, Anna Magdalena

Related Words

• periodic
• repetitive
• seasonal