periodic
1 Americanadjective
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recurring at intervals of time.
periodic revivals of an interest in handicrafts.
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occurring or appearing at regular intervals.
periodic visits by doctors to the village.
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repeated at irregular intervals; intermittent.
periodic outbreaks of the disease.
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Physics. recurring at equal intervals of time.
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Mathematics. (of a function) having a graph that repeats after a fixed interval period of the independent variable.
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Astronomy.
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characterized by a series of successive circuits or revolutions, as the motion of a planet or satellite.
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of or relating to a period, as of the revolution of a heavenly body.
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pertaining to or characterized by rhetorical periods, or periodic sentences.
adjective
adjective
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happening or recurring at intervals; intermittent
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of, relating to, or resembling a period
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having or occurring in repeated periods or cycles
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of periodic1
First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin periodicus, from Greek periodikós; see origin at period, -ic
Origin of periodic2
Explanation
Something periodic happens only occasionally, after a "period" of time. Lunch happens every day, after 4th period, so it's safe to say it's periodic. Something periodic doesn't have to happen at regular intervals, though. The word "period" is the key to the meaning of periodic, because something periodic can happen only after a period of time. Periodic visits to the vet are a good way to make sure that your pet stays healthy. Why not just use "occasional," you ask. Good question. Periodic implies that the thing will continue to happen over and over—periodically. Like comets and victories by the Yankees. These things are reliable, if periodic.
Vocabulary lists containing periodic
Freak the Mighty
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Word Generation Science - Introductory Chemistry Concepts
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
From Dodger Stadium to downtown Los Angeles and the Eastside, Sunday was marked by periodic smoke from a Boyle Heights fire burning for a fifth straight day.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2026
The deal follows weeks of fraught negotiations and periodic threats of fresh hostilities, but its details remain unclear.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
It is the first example in which scientists have confirmed exactly what is causing the periodic behavior.
From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026
Ang’s results are driven mainly by taxes on dividends and on periodic capital gains within the index fund as its membership changed over time.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
It was a natural choice; the waxing and waning of the moon in the heavens was hard to overlook, and it offered a convenient way of marking periodic cycles of time.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
