cyclic

play

adjective cy·clic \ ˈsī-klik also ˈsi- \

variants: or cyclical play \ˈsī-kli-kəl, ˈsi-\

Definition of cyclic

1 a :of, relating to, or being a cycle

b :moving in cycles

cyclic time

c :of, relating to, or being a chemical compound containing a ring of atoms

2 cyclic :being a mathematical group that has an element such that every element of the group can be expressed as one of its powers

—

cyclically

play \ˈsī-kli-k(ə-)lē, ˈsi-\ or less commonly cyclicly play \ˈsī-kli-klē, ˈsi-\ adverb

See cyclic defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of cyclic from the Web

This pest tends to be cyclic, with outbreaks occurring several years apart.

— dan gill, NOLA.com, "How to spot, prevent and control sob webworms in your lawn," 29 July 2017
For people with a disorder called cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS), unpredictable episodes of severe vomiting can go on for days and recur at least multiple times a year, sometimes as often as several times a month.

— dr. manny alvarez, Fox News, "Cyclic vomiting syndrome: It's as terrible as it sounds," 31 May 2017
In its cyclic passage, the fuel molecule undergoes a series of minute chemical changes.

— rachel carson, The New Yorker, "Silent Spring—III," 1 Jan. 1950

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cyclic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.