1
as in serial
appearing in parts or numbers that follow regularly
a periodical town newsletter that is supported by local advertisers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in recurrent
occurring or appearing at intervals
periodical announcements from airline personnel concerning the delay
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in frequent
appearing or occurring repeatedly from time to time
periodical visits to the dentist will help keep your teeth healthy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in newspaper
a publication that appears at regular intervals
subscribed to three new periodicals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of periodical
Walden Green, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2025
One of Bowie’s biggest inspirations seems to have been a periodical also called The Spectator, which was published between 1711 and 1712.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 12 Dec. 2025
There is a reason why the apocalyptic bromides about the state of print haven’t come to fruition, other than for disposable periodicals and newspapers.
—Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for periodical
Adjective
The songs on Strange but True are titled after headlines from the periodical Weekly World News, which were gathered by David Fair, Jad Fair’s brother and bandmate in Half Japanese.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2025
One of Bowie’s biggest inspirations seems to have been a periodical also called The Spectator, which was published between 1711 and 1712.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
After the lawsuit was filed, the jail changed its mail policy, and softcover books as well as periodicals published by the nonprofit were accepted into the jail.
—Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 12 Dec. 2025
There is a reason why the apocalyptic bromides about the state of print haven’t come to fruition, other than for disposable periodicals and newspapers.
—Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for periodical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for periodical
Adjective
-
The actress completely transforms into serial killer Aileen Wuornos, delivering a tour de force as a woman struggling to suppress her violent urges.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Was a serial killer on the loose?—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In-lab sleep tests can identify the cause of abnormal behaviors that happen while someone is sleeping like recurrent nightmares, sleepwalking and more.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Currently, there is a huge gap between the number of people who may seek out fertility treatment in the US—for example, those with infertility or recurrent miscarriage, and LGBTQ+ folks—and those who can access it.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Lord and Miller are boisterous funnymen, with a flair for the exaggerated and the outlandish that feels born of their frequent work in animation.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Before its closure, the high school campus in Toubab Dialaw -- where most of the abuse is reported to have taken place -- consisted largely of a construction site with trailers, no running water, frequent power outages and makeshift zinc latrines.—
MARK BANCHEREAU THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Step Back Nation Media Group owns major newspapers across East Africa, including the Daily Nation, Business Daily, and The EastAfrican.—
Vivianne Wandera,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Word of the Seneca Falls convention spread far and fast through the press; even hostile newspapers reprinted Stanton’s Declaration.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The first cast member was just confirmed, the creative team has deep roots in series-building, and the premise leans into darker, more serialized storytelling than the monster-of-the-week formula most viewers know.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Over 300,000 creators published stories on the platform in the past year using its AI suite, which includes a Planner Agent, Context Agent and Drama Agent for serialized fiction.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Bell Street Bridge encampment was prioritized for closure as part of Downtown Rising – the first phase of Atlanta Rising, a multi-year campaign launched in 2025 to end unsheltered homelessness citywide and make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.—
Emily McLeod,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
This was and is a non-recurring, cyclical business totally dependent on transaction volumes, which fluctuate with economic cycles and interest rates.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
To put this in a more formal way, every seven years would begin a new periodic cycle.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The phrasing is flat, declarative, and uninterested in anecdote; taken together, the dicta sketch a profile that is periodic, age-linked, and seasonal.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
One 2024 analysis, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, estimated that the field could be worth nearly seven billion dollars by 2030.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The scientists detailed their findings March 12 in two studies in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.—
Charles Q. Choi,
Space.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Periodical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/periodical. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
