periodic
adjective
pe·ri·od·ic
ˌpir-ē-ˈä-dik 
1
a
: occurring or recurring at regular intervals
b
: occurring repeatedly from time to time
2
a
: consisting of or containing a series of repeated stages, processes, or digits : cyclic
periodic decimals
a periodic vibration
b
: being a function any value of which recurs at regular intervals
3
: expressed in or characterized by periodic sentences
Synonyms
Examples of periodic in a Sentence
He takes the car in for periodic oil changes.
sent out periodic reminders about the office dress code
Recent Examples on the Web
Federal officials are also pushing for these limits in other sectors, among metal and nonmetal operators and aiming to establish medical surveillance programs for periodic health exams at no cost to miners.
—
Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
Companies mining materials other than coal have expressed particular concern about the cost of a new program requiring them to provide free periodic medical exams to workers.
—Chris Hamby, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2024
That’s a roughly 8% increase from a year ago and the highest figure in the decade that the New York Fed has been tracking this question as part of its periodic Survey of Consumer Expectations.
—Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Set in 1950s Texas, the film focuses on the true-life story of five Mexican-American youths who triumph against all odds while overcoming adversity, prejudice and periodic self-doubts in their pursuit of a Texas State High School Golf Championship trophy.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
How often do cicadas come out in Arizona? Cicadas are periodic insects that emerge in Arizona at different intervals depending on the species.
—The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The inventor of the lightbulb (insert asterisk) had the bright idea that sleep was counter-productive, and so preferred to take periodic naps throughout the day and night.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2024
The tech industry is still going through one of its periodic restructurings.
—Jim Fruchterman, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
Altering plans because of this periodic celestial event has a long tradition, however.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024
Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
Companies mining materials other than coal have expressed particular concern about the cost of a new program requiring them to provide free periodic medical exams to workers.
—Chris Hamby, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2024
That’s a roughly 8% increase from a year ago and the highest figure in the decade that the New York Fed has been tracking this question as part of its periodic Survey of Consumer Expectations.
—Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Set in 1950s Texas, the film focuses on the true-life story of five Mexican-American youths who triumph against all odds while overcoming adversity, prejudice and periodic self-doubts in their pursuit of a Texas State High School Golf Championship trophy.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
How often do cicadas come out in Arizona? Cicadas are periodic insects that emerge in Arizona at different intervals depending on the species.
—The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The inventor of the lightbulb (insert asterisk) had the bright idea that sleep was counter-productive, and so preferred to take periodic naps throughout the day and night.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2024
The tech industry is still going through one of its periodic restructurings.
—Jim Fruchterman, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
Altering plans because of this periodic celestial event has a long tradition, however.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'periodic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near periodic
Cite this Entry
“Periodic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periodic. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
periodic
adjective
pe·ri·od·ic
ˌpir-ē-ˈäd-ik
1
: occurring at regular intervals
2
: consisting of or containing a series of repeated stages
periodic vibrations
Medical Definition
periodic
adjective
pe·ri·od·ic
ˌpir-ē-ˈäd-ik
: occurring or recurring at regular intervals
periodic epidemics
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