cyclic

[sahy-klik, sik-lik]

adjective

1. revolving or recurring in cycles; characterized by recurrence in cycles.

2. of, relating to, or constituting a cycle or cycles.

3. Chemistry.,  of or relating to a compound that contains a closed chain or ring of atoms (acyclic ).

4. Botany.

   1. arranged in whorls, as the parts of a flower.

   2. (of a flower) having the parts so arranged.

5. Mathematics.

   1. pertaining to an algebraic system in which all the elements of a group are powers of one element.

   2. (of a set of elements) arranged as if on a circle, so that the first element follows the last.

cyclic

/ ˈsɪklɪk, ˈsaɪklɪkəl, ˈsɪklɪkəl, ˈsaɪklɪk /

adjective

1. recurring or revolving in cycles

2. (of an organic compound) containing a closed saturated or unsaturated ring of atoms See also heterocyclic homocyclic

3. botany

   1. arranged in whorls

      cyclic petals

   2. having parts arranged in this way

      cyclic flowers

4. music of or relating to a musical form consisting of several movements sharing thematic material

5. geometry (of a polygon) having vertices that lie on a circle

6. (in generative grammar) denoting one of a set of transformational rules all of which must apply to a clause before any one of them applies to any clause in which the first clause is embedded

cyclic

1. Occurring or moving in cycles.

2. Relating to a compound having atoms arranged in a ring or closed-chain structure. Benzene is a cyclic compound.

3. Having parts arranged in a whorl.

Other Word Forms

• cyclicity noun
• noncyclic adjective
• cyclically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of cyclic¹

1785–95; < Latin cyclicus < Greek kyklikós circular. See cycle, -ic

Example Sentences

Some metrics point to a prolonged fall—economist Robert Shiller’s version of the cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings ratio recently breached 40 for the first time since 1999.

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Rather than the forward-looking price/earnings ratio based on analyst forecasts and favored by most fund managers, that is the cyclically adjusted version first proposed by Warren Buffett’s mentor Benjamin Graham.

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For one, the cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings ratio, also known as the Shiller P/E ratio — a widely watched long-term valuation measure — rose above two standard deviations from its historical average in the summer of 2024.

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Zillow’s earnings profile is cyclically depressed because of the housing market.

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Years ago, Robert Shiller developed his cyclically adjusted P/E, or CAPE, ratio for the S&P 500....

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