top definitions
quizzes
related content
examples
explore dictionary
medical

periodicity

[ peer-ee-uh-dis-i-tee ]

/ ˌpɪər i əˈdɪs ɪ ti /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR periodicity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the character of being periodic; the tendency to recur at regular intervals.

QUIZZES

QUIZ TIME: TEST YOUR MEMORY OF THE MAY 2020 WORDS OF THE DAY

Let the aeolian gusts transport you back to these popular Words of the Day from the month of May. How many do you remember?

Question 1 of 10

Which of the following words means “to travel or journey, especially to walk on foot”?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of periodicity

From the French word périodicité, dating back to 1825–35. See periodic¹, -ity

Words nearby periodicity

periodic table, periodic table of the elements, periodic tenancy, periodical, periodical cicada, periodicity, periodide, periodization, periodontal, periodontal disease, periodontal ligament

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for periodicity

Periodicity has been noted in various disorders of nervous character.
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 1 (of 6)|Havelock Ellis
The main factor in producing this very marked annual periodicity seems to me to be wholly unconnected with the sexual impulse.
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 1 (of 6)|Havelock Ellis
Periodicity of another kind known as “cyclic,” and due to a different set of causes, is believed to exist by many persons Cycles.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 6|Various
Wherever we can trace the law of periodicity we are strongly impressed with the idea of rotatory or orbitual motion.
The World's Greatest Books - Volume 15 - Science|Various

The reason most probably depends, as before intimated, on another phenomenon of periodicity corresponding to the month.
Moon Lore|Timothy Harley

Medical definitions for periodicity

periodicity

[ pîr′ē-ə-dĭs′ĭ-tē ]

n.

The quality or state of being periodic; recurrence at regular intervals.

The tendency of chemical elements to have similar properties when arranged according to their atomic number.

The position of an element in the periodic table.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Emoji Challenge! Test Yourself!