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
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.
For the first four days, I periodically used the included cuff to calibrate the wearable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
El Niño is a climate pattern that periodically warms the Pacific Ocean.
From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2026
Some have proposed that the Qumran community periodically inserted additional days or weeks to keep the calendar aligned with the seasons.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
ARMs typically start with a lower interest rate at the start of a set period, and then adjust periodically.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
During the highlights, they periodically show the winner's reaction up on a box in the corner of the screen.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
