periodically
Americanadverb
-
at irregular intervals of time; intermittently.
Internships of various types are available periodically.
You will need to recharge the battery periodically; the recharge interval will vary depending upon use.
-
at regular or somewhat regular intervals of time.
By periodically—perhaps monthly—performing this test, you can quantitatively assess the impact of your training.
Other Word Forms
- nonperodically adverb
- quasi-periodically adverb
- unperiodically adverb
Etymology
Origin of periodically
Explanation
When you do something periodically, you do it either occasionally or at regular intervals. Do you talk to your grandmother once every week or two? Then you can say you call her periodically. It's easy to get to the bottom of periodically by looking at the word period, in its sense of "course or extent of time." When things happen periodically, they occur after a period of time has passed, either a random length of time or a more regular interval: "That bird shows up at my window periodically" or "He periodically opens and closes the blinds just as the sun rises and sets."
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.
While investors periodically get the jitters over how long the AI boom will last, analysts have said they do not expect the bubble to burst any time soon.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
The “Cicada” nickname refers to this subvariant’s apparent dormancy before it reemerged in 2025, akin to some periodically active insects of the same name.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026
Kepler also identified around 3,000 eclipsing binary systems, where one star periodically passes in front of the other.
From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026
While the two have sparred periodically about policy over the last decade, they have also appeared to bond at public events.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
So I sit there for ten minutes, which truly feels like an hour, periodically calling for her again and again—but I have a feeling she’s not coming.
From "Hurricane Child" by Kheryn Callender
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.
