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
Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
The various species of annual cicadas are larger than their periodical cousins and have black or greenish eyes.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies by Jean Kerr (1957)
$16
$19 now 16% off
This used to be a proper country, where numerous humor writers regularly published in mainstream periodicals their gentle, relatable, and cutting musings about the foibles of modern life.
—Brian Boone, Vulture, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for periodical
Adjective
Shows of force and clashes between immigration officers and protesters at raid sites have become periodical occurrences in the Los Angeles area as more people oppose the federal government’s immigration enforcement actions.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
The various species of annual cicadas are larger than their periodical cousins and have black or greenish eyes.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Noun
How accurate is the Farmers' Almanac? Farmers' Almanac is an annual American periodical that has been in continuous publication since 1818, providing long-range weather predictions for the U.S. and Canada.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies by Jean Kerr (1957)
$16
$19 now 16% off
This used to be a proper country, where numerous humor writers regularly published in mainstream periodicals their gentle, relatable, and cutting musings about the foibles of modern life.
—Brian Boone, Vulture, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for periodical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for periodical
Adjective
-
And his father, Tel Gansen is the serial entrepreneur and man behind Ashwin and the number one trending film on Starz, Trap City.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
When an amateur true crime investigator arrives with the intention of tracking down the town's serial killer, the unlikely pair strike a truce to avoid being caught – and might just find a love story in their own madness.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The company plans to back sales with recurrent training to keep pilots up to speed.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The results showed no significant differences between the two groups in rates of death, recurrent heart attack or hospitalization for heart failure.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Again, Dell’s frequent price shifts can dramatically alter each configuration's value, so timing matters.—
Charles Jefferies,
PC Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Women can develop multiple symptoms, like heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, frequent urination, constipation and back pain.—
Lauren Giella,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This story is full of secrets — the heroine has multiple identities as a newspaper editor and club owner, a Latina and a witch, passing as a mundane white woman in an era when even that isn’t especially safe.—
Lia Amador,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
-
And that film was shown repeatedly on television, while still images blanketed newspapers.—
Time,
Time,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Launching a medical procedural with serialized elements, including a romance, has been a big priority there.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
18 Sep. 2025
-
My top tip is to create a consistent, serialized content format.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Audiences can also expect a new teacher, Luke Tennie’s Dominic, and potentially more recurring and guest characters.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
6 Sep. 2025
-
This should further increase the bank's base of more recurring revenue streams.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
By contrast, an investment product with private asset exposure designed for workplace retirement plans may have somewhat lower costs and let investors put money in regularly as well as make periodic withdrawals during the year.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The state is a non-equilibrium quantum state of matter in a system driven by a time-periodic Hamiltonian, which is a physical system whose governing rules change over time, but with a repeating, predictable cycle.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In 2018, a survey of first-time moms conducted as part of a study published in the journal Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare highlighted the prevalence of low confidence, high stress and symptoms of depression.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
-
The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Periodical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/periodical. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share