periodic

adjective

pe·ri·od·ic | \ ˌpir-ē-ˈä-dik

Definition of periodic

1a : occurring or recurring at regular intervals

b : occurring repeatedly from time to time

2a : 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

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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

Your eyeballs are pretty important, as are periodic eye exams. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Exactly How Often You Really Need to See Different Kinds of Doctors," 17 Jan. 2019 Your local law enforcement agency may also host periodic collection days. — Alissa Katz, Good Housekeeping, "How to Dispose of Everything, Including Old Cell Phones, Mattresses, and Batteries," 8 Jan. 2019 Finra alleged the company hadn’t implemented procedures and controls that would have ensured periodic reviews of accounts from certain foreign financial institutions. — Kimberly Chin, WSJ, "Finra Slaps Morgan Stanley With $10 Million Fine Over Anti-Money-Laundering Program," 26 Dec. 2018 Such measures are routine in Mississippi laws, allowing periodic review by lawmakers. — Jeff Amy, The Seattle Times, "Mississippi police took property without legal authority," 9 Oct. 2018 Others need periodic treatment with the device, Dr. Fogt explains. — Korin Miller, SELF, "So Your Doctor Says You Have Dry Eye? Here Are 8 Treatment Options to Know," 13 Dec. 2018 Soon the central core would have to pull off one of its periodic reinventions. — Jon Talton, The Seattle Times, "‘It’s the economy, stupid,’ and the bad luck of George H.W. Bush," 4 Dec. 2018 This morning, Nintendo sent out one of its periodic brag-heavy business press releases, this time focusing on a strong start to the US holiday shopping season. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Putting Nintendo Switch’s 8.2 million US Switch sales in context," 28 Nov. 2018 The path to this new low started on December 22nd 2017 with a precipitous crash followed by periodic rebounds which did little to stop the ultimate trend towards the new year-long low. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "Bitcoin Plunges to a Year-Long Low," 20 Nov. 2018

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