periodical

1 of 2

adjective

pe·​ri·​od·​i·​cal ˌpir-ē-ˈä-di-kəl How to pronounce periodical (audio)
1
2
a
: published with a fixed interval between the issues or numbers
b
: published in, characteristic of, or connected with a periodical

periodical

2 of 2

noun

: a periodical publication

Examples of periodical in a Sentence

Adjective a periodical town newsletter that is supported by local advertisers periodical announcements from airline personnel concerning the delay Noun She writes for a monthly periodical. The library has a large collection of scholarly periodicals.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Dickens had taken a nom de plume in the tradition of journalists and periodical writers, but there was no need to conceal his identity. Kirsty McHugh, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025 Humanoids attempted to bring it back occasionally in an English periodical edition, but anthologies generally don’t do well in the comic book direct market. Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Noun
Finally, after several years of a successful revival in France, Humanoids opted to go the crowdfunding route to get a new, more deluxe periodical off the ground. Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025 Plenty of people still enjoy traditional books and periodicals, and there are even readers for whom the networked age has enabled a kind of hyper-literacy; for them, a smartphone is a library in their pocket. Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for periodical

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of periodical was in 1585

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Periodical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periodical. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

periodical

1 of 2 adjective
pe·​ri·​od·​i·​cal ˌpir-ē-ˈäd-i-kəl How to pronounce periodical (audio)
1
2
: published at regular intervals
periodically
-k(ə-)lē
adverb

periodical

2 of 2 noun
: a periodical publication

More from Merriam-Webster on periodical

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