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
- periodically adverb
- periodicity noun
Etymology
Origin of periodic1
First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin periodicus, from Greek periodikós; period, -ic
Origin of periodic1
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.
“The industry’s fundamentals change much more slowly than these market sentiment swings,” write the analysts, “and one should take advantage of the periodic disconnects.”
From Barron's
Jeffers, from special operations in US Central Command, in late 2024 was put in charge of monitoring a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, which has continued periodic strikes aimed at Hezbollah militants.
From Barron's
Their pay was rarely stable, and they faced periodic layoffs and wage cuts.
From Los Angeles Times
Inflation pressures were rising across the U.S. as 2025 ended, according to the Federal Reserve’s periodic view of the economy known as the “beige book.”
From MarketWatch
Inflation pressures were rising across the U.S. as 2025 ended, according to the Federal Reserve’s periodic view of the economy known as the “beige book.”
From MarketWatch
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.
