pe·ri·od·i·cal
ˌpir-ē-ˈä-di-kəl 
2
a
: published with a fixed interval between the issues or numbers
b
: published in, characteristic of, or connected with a periodical
: a periodical publication
Synonyms
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
Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 7 June 2024
Kentucky will see two types of cicadas in 2024, annual and periodical, during most of the summer months.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 22 Apr. 2024
Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 8 May 2024
Not much is known about the human at the center of this engraving, produced for a New York periodical by the artist James A. Taylor.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for periodical 
Adjective
The two periodical broods this summer are Brood XIX, which have a 13-year life cycle, and Brood XIII, which have a 17-year life cycle.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 7 June 2024
Kentucky will see two types of cicadas in 2024, annual and periodical, during most of the summer months.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 22 Apr. 2024
Noun
Middlebury College Collections on JSTOR Middlebury Colleges shares more than 75,000 items in twenty public collections that include photo negatives, postcards, letters, yearbooks, periodicals, folk songs, and maps on JSTOR.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 8 May 2024
Not much is known about the human at the center of this engraving, produced for a New York periodical by the artist James A. Taylor.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for periodical
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'periodical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near periodical
Cite this Entry
“Periodical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periodical. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
periodical
1 of 2 adjective
pe·ri·od·i·cal
ˌpir-ē-ˈäd-i-kəl
1
2
: published at regular intervals
periodically
adverb
-k(ə-)lē
periodical
2 of 2 noun
: a periodical publication
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