periodical

adjective pe·ri·od·i·cal \ ˌpir-ē-ˈä-di-kəl \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of periodical

1 : periodic 1

2 a : published with a fixed interval between the issues or numbers

b : published in, characteristic of, or connected with a periodical

See periodical defined for kids

Examples of periodical in a Sentence

a periodical town newsletter that is supported by local advertisers
periodical announcements from airline personnel concerning the delay

Recent Examples of periodical from the Web

Raymond Gadke assisted several generations of researchers and students in his oversight of University of Chicago Library’s microforms department and later of its periodical collections and all its reading room collections.

— bob goldsborough, chicagotribune.com, "Ray Gadke, oversaw microforms and periodicals at University of Chicago library, dies," 18 Mar. 2018
Would not such a periodical revision engender pernicious factions that might not otherwise come into existence?

— jay cost, National Review, "Christ Church Should Be Ashamed," 30 Oct. 2017
Would not such a periodical revision engender pernicious factions that might not otherwise come into existence?

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "This Is the Bleakest Moment for America in My Lifetime," 13 Aug. 2017
Periodical cicadas are broken into two groups based on its 17 or 13-year periodic appearances.

— jefferson county cooperative extension, AL.com, "Danger follows the buzz of summer (Garden Talk)," 18 July 2017
Legendary periodical cicada researcher C.L. Marlatt called them stragglers back in 1898.

— kevin ambrose, Washington Post, "Why are these enormous cicadas crawling out of the ground early? An expert explains.," 24 May 2017
But Washington must issue periodical waivers to keep the penalties from snapping back into place and the most recent one was set to expire this week.

— josh lederman, The Seattle Times, "With waiver, US lets Iran keep getting benefits of nuke deal," 17 May 2017
Periodical1st Nancy McCullough-McCoy, Sage Hibberd, Kate Hull – Powder Mountain Press –

— nicole blanchard, idahostatesman, "Statesman reporters, photographers nab top honors from Idaho Press Club," 7 May 2017

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

First Known Use of periodical

1585

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

periodical Synonyms

Other Publishing Terms

annotate, dreadful, emend, expurgate, factoid, jump, lobster shift, redaction, referee

periodical

noun

Definition of periodical

: a periodical publication

See periodical defined for English-language learners

Examples of periodical in a Sentence

She writes for a monthly periodical.
The library has a large collection of scholarly periodicals.

Recent Examples of periodical from the Web

The moderator is Ralph Bernstein, a seasoned moderator and retired attorney who has reviewed the internet and many periodicals to discuss at the meeting.

— Lake County News-Sun, "Calendar: Color yourself calm in North Chicago," 16 Apr. 2018
English travelers reported wistfully in 1890s travel memoirs and periodicals like The Rational Dress Gazette that the French were more nonchalant about women wearing pants on bikes.

— christine ro, The Atlantic, "How Cycling Clothing Opened Doors for Women," 15 Apr. 2018
There are many who argue, in the pages of this country’s most respected periodicals, that this power lies with the intolerant left.

— sarah jones, The New Republic, "The Invisible Free Speech Crisis," 10 Apr. 2018
The US Postal Service has long maintained a special discount rate for periodicals to facilitate the dissemination of journalism and the viability of journalism business models.

— matthew yglesias, Vox, "The case against Facebook," 9 Apr. 2018
Kroger didn't name specific titles, but periodicals that have featured assault weapons include: Guns & Ammo, Tactical Life and Recoil.

— alexander coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "Kroger stops selling magazines featuring assault rifles," 19 Mar. 2018
The moderator is Ralph Bernstein, a seasoned moderator and retired attorney who has reviewed the internet and many periodicals to discuss at the meeting.

— Lake County News-Sun, "Calendar," 2 Apr. 2018
At the turn of the century, the Post Office delivered letters and periodicals all across America.

— alana semuels, The Atlantic, "Trump’s Complaints About Amazon Have a Historical Precedent," 29 Mar. 2018
Several of her articles on biotechnology were published in scientific journals and periodicals.

— courant.com, "Mary Jane Paolella Sr.," 27 Mar. 2018