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
In the Federal Reserve’s periodic Beige Book look at economic conditions, there were more than 50 mentions of either tariffs or trade policy concerns.
—
Yun Li, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
Yesterday’s defenses—periodic scans, manual oversight and static controls—crumble against adversaries wielding AI to exploit vulnerabilities at machine speed.
—Tim Eades, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Both elements belong to the same group of periodic metals known as platinum group metals (PGMs), which also includes ruthenium, rhodium, osmium and iridium.
—Victor Rosario, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025
Showers will be periodic during the stretch, with potential for isolated thunderstorms on Monday evening and Tuesday.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for periodic
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Yun Li, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
Yesterday’s defenses—periodic scans, manual oversight and static controls—crumble against adversaries wielding AI to exploit vulnerabilities at machine speed.
—Tim Eades, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Both elements belong to the same group of periodic metals known as platinum group metals (PGMs), which also includes ruthenium, rhodium, osmium and iridium.
—Victor Rosario, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025
Showers will be periodic during the stretch, with potential for isolated thunderstorms on Monday evening and Tuesday.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 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 12 Mar. 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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