periodical 1 of 2

adjective

ˌpir-ē-ˈä-di-kəl How to pronounce periodical (audio)
Definition of periodicalnext
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

periodical

2 of 2

noun

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
Adjective
Beginning in the 1890s, three successive Henry Wallaces — father, son, and grandson — held the editor’s pen at the influential periodical, Wallaces’ Farmer. — Andrew Klumpp, Des Moines Register, 22 Mar. 2026 After the last couple of years of periodical cicada activity, this year brings a pleasant break from periodical brood activity. — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
However, these publications predated the widespread use of the term magazine for periodicals. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May 2026 Her parents ran a print shop for a newspaper and Buddhist periodicals. — John Mok, Vogue, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for periodical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for periodical
  1. serial
  2. recurrent
  3. frequent
  4. newspaper
  5. serialized
  6. recurring
  7. periodic
  8. journal
Adjective
  • Michael Chavira is a serial entrepreneur, systems engineer, and managing partner at Axiologic Solutions.
    — Michael Chavira, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Jeremy Theobald stars as a London writer who follows around strangers for inspiration, a personality quirk that gets him in trouble when he becomes tied to a serial burglar (Alex Haw) and a femme fatale (Lucy Russell).
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 17 July 2026
Definition of serial
Adjective
  • Instead, forecasters are monitoring a recurrent coronal hole, an area where the sun’s magnetic field opens into space and allows faster solar wind to escape.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Among the children with recurrent brain tumors who participated in the study, three experienced particularly positive outcomes.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 14 July 2026
Definition of recurrent
Adjective
  • As instances of extreme heat become more frequent, resilience will depend less on the speed of a city’s response, and more on the quality of its planning, well before temperatures reach dangerous levels.
    — Curtis S. Chin, Fortune, 23 July 2026
  • The healthiest approach is to combine regular exercise with frequent movement throughout the day.
    — Jakob Roze, Health, 23 July 2026
Definition of frequent
Noun
  • Stadium Club sets are known for their utilization of exceptional photographs, and Joan Monfort’s work from 2007, intended for a charity calendar produced by FC Barcelona, UNICEF and newspaper Diario Sport, certainly fits that category.
    — Brooks Peck, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Someone has left a copy of the communist newspaper Rizospastis, folded up neatly near Bellou’s tombstone, which is engraved with the lyrics of one of her most beloved songs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
Definition of newspaper
Adjective
  • There’s some wisdom in not having a rape threat hover over ten hours of serialized television, and the shift has opened up some thorny connections between Cady and Anna Bowden, whose pasts continue to intersect in intriguing ways.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • It’ll be built in limited numbers with serialized plaques on the dash, but the press release doesn’t mention how many the manufacturer will make.
    — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 15 July 2026
Definition of serialized
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
Definition of recurring
Adjective
  • Renewal Requires Timing, Limits And Recovery On the mountain, Mee-Add drew our attention to vegetation shaped by wind and to the role of periodic fire in the fynbos ecosystem.
    — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • El Nino is a periodic warming of water in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean that can affect global weather patterns for months, according to Paul Pastelok, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2026
Definition of periodic
Noun
  • The findings were published in the journal npj Flexible Electronics.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 July 2026
  • While the image was captured in 2024, a new investigation of the observation and discovery of this sandstorm was described in a study published this year in the journal Geology.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of journal

Browse Nearby Words

periodic
periodical
periodically
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Cite this Entry

“Periodical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/periodical. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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