cyclic

American  

[sahy-klik, sik-lik] / ˈsaɪ klɪk, ˈsɪk lɪk /

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 (contrasted with 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.

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cyclic British  

/ 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

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cyclic Scientific  

/ sĭk′lĭk,sī′klĭk /

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.

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Other Word Forms

• cyclically
  adverb
• cyclicity
  noun
• noncyclic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cyclic

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

Explanation

The adjective cyclic describes something that happens so regularly, you can predict it, like the cyclic trips to buy notebooks and sneakers when preparing for a new school year. Accent the first syllable in cyclic: "SICK-lick." Something that is cyclic follows a cycle, a sequence in which things begin and end in a predictable rhythm. Cycle comes from the Greek word kyklos, meaning "circle, wheel, any circular body, circular motion, cycle of events." So something that is cyclic shares that same pattern.

Example Sentences

Cyclic said the Mesa plant is projected to yield 2,500 tons of copper in its first two years of operation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Cyclic sighing appeared to be particularly effective among the different breathing exercises.

From Washington Post • Mar. 16, 2023

In a variation on the scissor theme, Dr. Segerman and Kyle VanDeventer, a former student, presented Kinetic Cyclic Scissors this summer.

From New York Times • Jan. 1, 2023

Cyclic steam injection pumps super-heated steam into wells to loosen and liquefy viscous crude oil.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2019

Cyclic Form — There are two very different uses of this term.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones