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
Synonyms
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
Only a small percentage of affected cars have yet to get their fix, but a small percentage of a very big number is still a quite big number, hence the periodic and increasingly urgent reminders from automakers.
—
Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 13 Aug. 2024
In the letter, the agency asked the state to add more details about monitoring and recordkeeping requirements for periodic opacity monitoring.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 13 Aug. 2024
By Elizabeth Logan August 12, 2024 This is your periodic reminder that Sydney Sweeney is, in fact, engaged to be married.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 12 Aug. 2024
And the share of Americans who say they have been pulled over has fallen since at least the late 1990s in a periodic federal survey tracking contacts between the police and the public.
—Emily Badger, New York Times, 29 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for periodic 
Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 13 Aug. 2024
In the letter, the agency asked the state to add more details about monitoring and recordkeeping requirements for periodic opacity monitoring.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 13 Aug. 2024
By Elizabeth Logan August 12, 2024 This is your periodic reminder that Sydney Sweeney is, in fact, engaged to be married.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 12 Aug. 2024
And the share of Americans who say they have been pulled over has fallen since at least the late 1990s in a periodic federal survey tracking contacts between the police and the public.
—Emily Badger, New York Times, 29 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for periodic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'periodic.' 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 periodic
Cite this Entry
“Periodic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periodic. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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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