period

noun

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pe·ri·od | \ ˈpir-ē-əd

Definition of period

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the completion of a cycle, a series of events, or a single action : conclusion

2a(1) : an utterance from one full stop to another : sentence

(2) : a well-proportioned sentence of several clauses

(3) : periodic sentence

b : a musical structure or melodic section usually composed of two or more contrasting or complementary phrases and ending with a cadence

3a : the full pause with which the utterance of a sentence closes

b : end, stop

4 obsolete : goal, purpose

5a(1) : a point . used to mark the end (as of a declarative sentence or an abbreviation)

(2) —used interjectionally to emphasize the finality of the preceding statement I don't remember—period

b : a rhythmical unit in Greek verse composed of a series of two or more cola

6a : a portion of time determined by some recurring phenomenon

b(1) : the interval of time required for a cyclic motion or phenomenon to complete a cycle and begin to repeat itself

(2) : a number k that does not change the value of a periodic function f when added to the independent variable especially : the smallest such number

c : a single cyclic occurrence of menstruation

7a : a chronological division : stage

b : a division of geologic time longer than an epoch and included in an era

c : a stage of culture having a definable place in time and space

8a : one of the divisions of the academic day

b : one of the divisions of the playing time of a game

period

adjective

Definition of period (Entry 2 of 2)

: of, relating to, or representing a particular historical period period furniture period costumes

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about period

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Synonyms for period

Synonyms: Noun

Choose the Right Synonym for period

Noun

period, epoch, era, age mean a division of time. period may designate an extent of time of any length. periods of economic prosperity epoch applies to a period begun or set off by some significant or striking quality, change, or series of events. the steam engine marked a new epoch in industry era suggests a period of history marked by a new or distinct order of things. the era of global communications age is used frequently of a fairly definite period dominated by a prominent figure or feature. the age of Samuel Johnson

Examples of period in a Sentence

Noun We have had two power failures in a five-month period. The period between Christmas and New Year's Eve is a very busy one for us. We are studying our country's colonial period. Children go through many changes during the period of adolescence.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Dallas-area median home prices rose by 8.8% in the same one-year period. — Steve Brown, Dallas News, "U.S. home prices growing at fastest pace in 15 years," 6 Apr. 2021 The good news is that the number of structurally deficient bridges has declined for the last five years, though that is tempered by a trend of more bridges being downgraded from good to fair condition over the same time period. — Niall Mccarthy, Forbes, "More Than 220,000 Bridges Need Repair Work In The U.S. [Infographic]," 6 Apr. 2021 Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh accounted for just 4.3% of India's case count in the last two weeks but more than 7% of its death toll during the same period, according to the prime minister's office. — Morgan Winsor, ABC News, "India sees 'alarming rate of growth of COVID-19 cases and deaths,' officials say," 5 Apr. 2021 Other top donors during the same period include Comcast, Philip Morris USA, UnitedHealth Group, Walmart, Verizon, General Motors, and Pfizer. — BostonGlobe.com, "Corporations gave more than $50 million to backers of voting restriction, report finds," 5 Apr. 2021 Other top donors during the same period include Comcast, Philip Morris, United Health, Walmart, Verizon, General Motors and Pfizer. — CBS News, "Companies gave more than $50 million to state lawmakers who backed voting overhaul bills," 5 Apr. 2021 Americans went out less in January, February and early March compared with the same period in 2020, before the pandemic forced state restrictions. — WSJ, "Covid-19 Live Updates: New U.S. Cases Fall by Almost Half," 5 Apr. 2021 Other top donors during the same period include Comcast, Philip Morris, United Health, Walmart, Verizon, General Motors and Pfizer. — Brian Slodysko, Star Tribune, "Corporations gave over $50M to voting restriction backers," 4 Apr. 2021 Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland saw 651 children seeking emergency mental health services from May to December last year, up from 368 during the same period in 2019, a 77% increase. — Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle, "Anxiety, depression, isolation: Bay Area students struggle amid spiking mental health crisis," 4 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Popular television series are often period dramas that offer pleasing escapes into quaint hierarchies—Downtown Abbey, Poldark, The Crown, and so on. — Samuel Earle, The New Republic, "The Sordid Story of the Most Successful Political Party in the World," 23 Feb. 2021 Season 4 of Netflix's The Crown takes the multi-period historical drama about Queen Elizabeth II's reign over the United Kingdom into the 1980s, including one of the weirdest wars of a violent decade. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Here's What Really Happened in the Falklands War," 4 Dec. 2020 Later, in the second quarter, officials talked with both coaches during the mid-period hydration timeout. — Chris Dabe, NOLA.com, "Destrehan rides four second-half touchdowns to beat East St. John, move into district 7-5A lead," 30 Oct. 2020 Buyers can opt for a variety of non-period modifications. — Mike Duff, Car and Driver, "A Legend Revived: GTO Engineering's Ferrari 250 GT SWB Competizione Replica," 8 Sep. 2020

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

History and Etymology for period

Noun

Middle English periode, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin, Latin, & Greek; Medieval Latin periodus period of time, punctuation mark, from Latin & Greek; Latin, rhetorical period, from Greek periodos circuit, period of time, rhetorical period, from peri- + hodos way

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Last Updated

9 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Period.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/period. Accessed 20 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for period

period

noun

English Language Learners Definition of period

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a length of time during which a series of events or an action takes place or is completed

: a length of time that is very important in the history of the world, a nation, etc.

: a time that is very important in the life of a person

period

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of period (Entry 2 of 2)

: of, relating to, or typical of a particular time in history

See the full definition for period in the English Language Learners Dictionary

period

noun

pe·ri·od | \ ˈpir-ē-əd

Kids Definition of period

1 : a punctuation mark . used chiefly to mark the end of a declarative sentence or an abbreviation

2 : a portion of time set apart by some quality a period of cool weather

3 : a portion of time that forms a stage in history the colonial period

4 : one of the divisions of a school day I have math second period.

5 : a single occurrence of menstruation

Choose the Right Synonym for period

period and age mean a portion of time. period can be used of any portion of time, no matter how long or short. We waited a period of five minutes. A new period of space exploration has begun. age is used of a longer period of time that is associated with an important person or outstanding thing. I'm reading about the age of Thomas Jefferson. We live in the computer age.