period

1 of 2

noun

pe·​ri·​od ˈpir-ē-əd 

1

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

2

a(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

3

a

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

b

: end, stop

4

obsolete : goal, purpose

5

a(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

6

a

: 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

7

a

: 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

8

a

: one of the divisions of the academic day

b

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

period

2 of 2

adjective

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

period furniture

period costumes

Synonyms

Noun

• menstruation
• monthlies

Choose the Right Synonym for period

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

Council members that crime has dropped in nearly every category this year, compared with the same period in 2023. —Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024

That’s when Heinz decided to make the sauce a reality, at least for a short period. —Kate Krader, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024

By automatically deducting taxes from employees’ earnings each pay period, withholding seemingly alleviates the burden of saving for a lump-sum payment when ... —Adam N. Michel, National Review, 15 Apr. 2024

And not all at the hands of gun violence, but just violence, period. —Michel Martin, NPR, 15 Apr. 2024

This marks the world’s fourth global bleaching event, and the second in the past decade – with previous periods in 1998, 2010, and between 2014-2017. —Rebecca Wright, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024

Drake, considered in some eyes the Roman Reigns of the rap game because of his sheer commercial dominance and unrelenting success over an extended period, is backed into a corner. —Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 15 Apr. 2024

Advertisement Zegras cut the lead in half with a wrister from the left faceoff circle to the far side late in the third period, his sixth goal of the season and his second in five days against the Kings, but Fiala matched that with a wraparound goal six minutes later. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024

But with less than two minutes left in the second period, the Sharks were called for icing, something that was completely preventable. —Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024

Adjective

At chairs and tables arranged in a loose circle in the Jewish Community Center’s Cafritz Hall, the actors read scenes and sing period German songs, as well as some composed by Broder and Duffy. —Peter Marks, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2023

Then the show has to go and become pointlessly circuitous for two episodes, as a combination of interchangeable actors obscured by period facial hair, unplaceable accents and purposeless time jumping make the story hazy for no good reason. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Nov. 2022

The owner decorated the interior in a period Caribbean colonial style, and most of the furniture and decor comes from St. Thomas or the US Virgin Islands; other pieces come from Barbados, as much is traded among the islands of the West Indies. —Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2022

Whereas early Meshuggah could often register as an endlessly clenching first, their mid-period work started to breathe, projecting a strange kind of serenity amid the constant information overload. —Hank Shteamer, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2022

The best San Jose chance that stretch came on a mid-period power play, when undrafted rookie Alexander Barbanov had an open net from below the right circle. —BostonGlobe.com, 24 Oct. 2021

Drawing inspiration from the folklore of Norse seafaring, period-style oil paintings will depict tales of the deep and intricate carvings of tentacles, barnacles, compasses and more will accentuate porthole frames. —Tim Walters, USA TODAY, 29 July 2021

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, 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, 4 Dec. 2020

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Noun

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1905, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing period

• cooling-off period
• fallow period
• grace period
• incubation period
• latency period
• latent period
• menstrual period
• period piece
• refractory period
• sub-period
• transition period

Kids Definition

period

noun

pe·​ri·​od

ˈpir-ē-əd

1

: the completion of a cycle, a series of events, or an action

2

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

3

a

: a portion of time marked by some repeating event

b

: the length of time required for a motion or event to complete a cycle and begin to repeat itself

the period of a pendulum

c

: a single occurrence of menstruation

4

a

: stage entry 1 sense 4e

b

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

c

: a stage or portion of time in the history of something

the colonial period

5

a

: one of the divisions of the school day

b

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

6

: a series of elements of increasing atomic number as listed in horizontal rows in the periodic table

Medical Definition

period

noun

pe·​ri·​od ˈpir-ē-əd 

1

a

: a portion of time determined by some recurring phenomenon

b

: a single cyclic occurrence of menstruation

2

: a chronological division

the period of incubation of a disease