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
The virus, which is spread by bodily fluids, is endemic in animal populations in Central and West Africa, and there are periodic outbreaks.
—
Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Over time, the gamma-ray flux from the Moon fluctuates by about 20% due to these periodic changes in the Sun’s magnetic field.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
The principal has gathered a team of staff members who come together to identify students struggling on periodic assessments to help solve challenges for those individual students.
—Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 2 Sep. 2025
And yet most current campaign workflows depend on periodic performance reviews or manual A/B testing cycles that offer little in the way of real-time insight or timely intervention.
—Sergii Denysenko, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for periodic
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Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Over time, the gamma-ray flux from the Moon fluctuates by about 20% due to these periodic changes in the Sun’s magnetic field.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
The principal has gathered a team of staff members who come together to identify students struggling on periodic assessments to help solve challenges for those individual students.
—Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 2 Sep. 2025
And yet most current campaign workflows depend on periodic performance reviews or manual A/B testing cycles that offer little in the way of real-time insight or timely intervention.
—Sergii Denysenko, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 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 11 Sep. 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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