periodic

[peer-ee-od-ik]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR periodic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

recurring at intervals of time: periodic revivals of an interest in handicrafts.

occurring or appearing at regular intervals: periodic visits by doctors to the village.

repeated at irregular intervals; intermittent: periodic outbreaks of the disease.

Physics. recurring at equal intervals of time.

Mathematics. (of a function) having a graph that repeats after a fixed interval (period) of the independent variable.

Astronomy.

characterized by a series of successive circuits or revolutions, as the motion of a planet or satellite.
of or relating to a period, as of the revolution of a heavenly body.

pertaining to or characterized by rhetorical periods, or periodic sentences.

Origin of periodic

1635–45; < Latin periodicus < Greek periodikós. See period, -ic

Related formspe·ri·od·i·cal·ly, adverbqua·si-pe·ri·od·i·cal·ly, adverb

Can be confusedperiodic periodical

periodic

[pur-ahy-od-ik]

adjective Chemistry.

of or derived from a periodic acid.

Origin of periodic

First recorded in 1830–40; per- + iodic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for periodic

yearly, recurrent, intermittent, annual, occasional, repeated, regular, routine, sporadic, seasonal, monthly, recurring, weekly, periodical, alternate, cyclical, daily, infrequent, perennial, rhythmic

Examples from the Web for periodic

Contemporary Examples of periodic

The periodic agony that accompanies sickle cell was joined by the torment of persistent eye infections and repeated surgeries.
Killed by Donald Sterling’s Racism
Michael Daly
May 14, 2014
And even now that ISIS has retreated from the area, it is still subject to periodic attacks from the Assad regime.
Millions of Refugees from Syria’s War Are Clinging to Life In Toxic Conditions
Christopher Looney
April 14, 2014
And when you review the periodic table, take special note of Tungsten, or Wolfram.
How I Write: Doug Dorst
Noah Charney
February 26, 2014
Conditioning the Fed to react less to periodic market tantrums will take a strong will.
Janet Yellen Succeeds in the Senate Without Really Trying
Daniel Gross
November 14, 2013
There were periodic beatings where the guards would enter with canes.
A Syrian Soldier on Being Arrested for Refusing to Shoot Civilians
Andrew Slater
September 5, 2013

Historical Examples of periodic

The periodic or compensating errors of the planets is another instance.
Essays, First Series
Ralph Waldo Emerson
But what was his surprise to observe that these alterations were not of an annually periodic character.
Great Astronomers
R. S. Ball
The periodic time of the moon is the interval required for one circuit of its orbit.
Great Astronomers
R. S. Ball
His hopes for the best had been but periodic interruptions to a chronic fear of the worst.
A Pair of Blue Eyes
Thomas Hardy
Juno was to at once begin her first contribution to periodic literature.
The Spinner's Book of Fiction
Various

British Dictionary definitions for periodic

periodic

adjective

happening or recurring at intervals; intermittent

of, relating to, or resembling a period

having or occurring in repeated periods or cycles

Derived Formsperiodically, adverbperiodicity (ˌpɪərɪəˈdɪsɪtɪ), noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for periodic

adj.

1640s, from French périodique (14c.), from Latin periodicus, from periodus (see period).

Periodic table in chemistry (1889) is from notion of the arrangement, in which similar properties recur at intervals in elements in the same area as you read down the rows of the table. This sense of the word is attested from 1872 (periodic law).

periodic in Medicine

periodic

[pîr′ē-ŏd′ĭk]

adj.

Having or marked by repeated cycles.

Recurring at regular intervals.