periodic

[ peer-ee-od-ik ]

/ ˌpɪər iˈɒd ɪk /

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.

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Nearby words

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 ]

/ ˌpɜr aɪˈɒd ɪk /

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

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
And when you review the periodic table, take special note of Tungsten, or Wolfram.
How I Write: Doug Dorst|Noah Charney|February 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
The parties which in turn wield power in these periodic revolutions may be briefly termed classical and romantic.
Morals and the Evolution of Man|Max Simon Nordau
Lloyd Morgan has prettily likened the vital processes to the periodic formation and discharge of explosive substances.
On Germinal Selection as a Source of Definite Variation|August Weismann
The periodic ratio of development of new fronds may be, perhaps, roughly estimated at six in the course of a year.
Omphalos|Philip Henry Gosse
Now all this time the periodic celebrations, the games, and lamentations, and songs would be assuming a more solemn character.
Early Bardic Literature, Ireland|Standish O'Grady
The periodic festival begets a kind of not immortal, but perennial, god.
Ancient Art and Ritual|Jane Ellen Harrison

British Dictionary definitions for periodic

periodic

/ (ˌpɪərɪˈɒdɪk) /

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

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).

Medicine definitions for periodic

periodic

[ pîr′ē-ŏd′ĭk ]

adj.

Having or marked by repeated cycles.

Recurring at regular intervals.