periodic
adjective
pe·ri·od·ic
ˌpir-ē-ˈä-dik 
1
a
: occurring or recurring at regular intervals
b
: occurring repeatedly from time to time
2
a
: 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
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
High-criticality or hard-to-access assets often justify remote, real-time solutions (e.g., IoT sensors), while less-critical assets might only need handheld tools or periodic checks.
—
Ed Garibian, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
The footage captured by the drones will be also subject to periodic audits.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
Catholic Charities itself did not respond to interview requests as of publication time but has shared financial and operational updates in periodic emails to volunteers and staff and in public blog posts.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2025
To date, Iran has kept its retaliation limited to launching periodic volleys of missiles toward Israel’s major population areas in the hope that a few of them will breach the country’s sophisticated air defense system.
—Daniel Depetris, Twin Cities, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for periodic
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Ed Garibian, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
The footage captured by the drones will be also subject to periodic audits.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
Catholic Charities itself did not respond to interview requests as of publication time but has shared financial and operational updates in periodic emails to volunteers and staff and in public blog posts.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2025
To date, Iran has kept its retaliation limited to launching periodic volleys of missiles toward Israel’s major population areas in the hope that a few of them will breach the country’s sophisticated air defense system.
—Daniel Depetris, Twin Cities, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for periodic
Cite this Entry
“Periodic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periodic. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
periodic
adjective
pe·ri·od·ic
ˌpir-ē-ˈäd-ik
1
: occurring at regular intervals
2
: consisting of or containing a series of repeated stages
periodic vibrations
Medical Definition
periodic
adjective
pe·ri·od·ic
ˌpir-ē-ˈäd-ik
: occurring or recurring at regular intervals
periodic epidemics
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