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Synonyms

periodical

American  
[peer-ee-od-i-kuhl] / ˌpɪər iˈɒd ɪ kəl /

noun

  1. a magazine or other journal that is issued at regularly recurring intervals.

adjective

  1. published at regularly recurring intervals.

  2. of or relating to such publications.

  3. periodic.

periodical British  
/ ˌpɪərɪˈɒdɪkəl /

noun

  1. a publication issued at regular intervals, usually monthly or weekly

"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

adjective

  1. of or relating to such publications

  2. published at regular intervals

  3. periodic or occasional

"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonperiodical adjective
  • periodicalism noun
  • periodicalist noun
  • periodicalness noun
  • unperiodical adjective

Etymology

Origin of periodical

First recorded in 1595–1605; periodic 1 + -al 1

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 shutdown already resulted in staffing shortages and periodical flight delays.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025

An entire notebook is devoted to The Spectator, a daily periodical that ran for 555 issues between 1711 and 1712 commenting on the manners and fads of London society.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2025

“Have they read the harrowing history of their ancestors’ bondage in Egypt to no purpose?” one writer in a Jewish periodical asked of pro-slavery Jews.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2025

When Cortni Borgerson thinks about the trillion or so periodical cicadas emerging from underground, she sees more than clumsily flying insects flitting from tree to tree in search of a mate.

From Salon • May 30, 2024

“Are you famous?” she asked, possibly sensing Bobby’s fame, or maybe because she’d seen his photo in Morgunbladid or some other periodical.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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.