cyclical
cyclical Lexical Profile
cyclical Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Occurring in cycles; regularly repeated in the same order of events or intervals of time.
"Historians often debate whether the rise and fall of civilizations follows a cyclical pattern."
In economics and finance, relating to or affected by regular fluctuations in the overall business cycle of expansion and recession.
"Automobile manufacturing is a highly cyclical industry that thrives during economic booms and struggles during recessions."
• noun
A stock, company, or industry whose financial performance and share price fluctuate in tandem with the broader economic business cycle.
"Investors began shifting their portfolios out of defensive utility stocks and into industrial cyclicals as the economy recovered."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'cyclical' and 'cyclic' both mean recurring in cycles, 'cyclical' is preferred in general, historical, and economic contexts (e.g., cyclical unemployment), whereas 'cyclic' is standard in mathematics, botany, and chemistry (e.g., cyclic compounds).
• Rhymes for cyclical
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the late 18th century from 'cyclic' plus the suffix '-al', ultimately deriving from Ancient Greek 'kyklikos' (moving in a circle), from 'kyklos' (circle, wheel).