aperiodic

adjective

ape·​ri·​od·​ic ˌā-ˌpir-ē-ˈä-dik How to pronounce aperiodic (audio)
1
: of irregular occurrence : not periodic
aperiodic floods
2
: not having periodic vibrations : not oscillatory
aperiodically adverb

Examples of aperiodic in a Sentence

released aperiodic reports on the results of their cancer research
Recent Examples on the Web Although Berger and others were able to bring down the size of these aperiodic sets significantly, in the mid-1970s Roger Penrose captured the world’s attention by discovering very small sets of his own aperiodic tiles. Quanta Magazine, 30 Oct. 2023 Mathematicians have proved that this hierarchical structure means the tiling can't be split into repeating sections and thus must be aperiodic. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 22 June 2023 The search for an aperiodic monotile appears to have come to an end. Quanta Magazine, 23 May 2023 The hat is actually one of an infinite family of aperiodic tiles! Quanta Magazine, 23 May 2023 The culprit: the unpredictable, nonrepeating nature of aperiodic tilings. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2023 Now, picture those neat rows replaced by an apparently random jumble of blocks, and voila — aperiodic decor. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 27 Apr. 2023 In 1973, Oxford mathematician and physicist Roger Penrose set the bar at two tiles — by organizing a pair of shapes called kites and darts in aperiodic fashion. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 27 Apr. 2023 The hat and turtle tilings looked strikingly similar, making the researchers suspect that the turtle was also aperiodic. Erica Klarreich, Quanta Magazine, 4 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aperiodic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aperiodic was in 1870

Dictionary Entries Near aperiodic

Cite this Entry

“Aperiodic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aperiodic. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Medical Definition

aperiodic

adjective
ape·​ri·​od·​ic ˌā-ˌpir-ē-ˈäd-ik How to pronounce aperiodic (audio)
1
: of irregular occurrence
2
: not having periodic vibrations : not oscillatory
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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