quasiperiodic

adjective

qua·​si·​pe·​ri·​od·​ic ˌkwā-ˌzī-ˌpir-ē-ˈä-dik 

-ˌsī-, 

ˌkwä-zē-, 

-sē-

: almost but not quite periodic

especially : periodic on a small scale but unpredictable at some larger scale

quasiperiodicity

ˌkwā-ˌzī-ˌpir-ē-ə-ˈdi-sə-tē 

-ˌsī-, 

ˌkwä-zē-, 

-sē-

noun

Examples of quasiperiodic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The reasons for these quasiperiodic changes in variations are somewhat unclear. — National Geographic, 26 Dec. 2019

Capturing the regular bursts of energy called quasiperiodic eruptions (QPEs) is rarer still. — Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 11 Apr. 2025

In the quasicrystals that the Michigan team studied, the rhombic triacontahedrons forced quasiperiodic patterns and appeared to require relatively little energy. — Patchen Barss, Wired News, 5 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quasiperiodic

• antispasmodic
• aperiodic
• anodic
• helladic
• melodic
• prosodic
• rhapsodic
• spasmodic
• episodic
• periodic
• modoc
• sodic