periodic
periodic Lexical Profile
periodic Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Appearing, occurring, or repeated at regular or frequent intervals.
"The safety committee conducts periodic inspections of the laboratory equipment."
Relating to the periodic table of elements or the regular pattern in which the chemical properties of elements recur with increasing atomic number.
"Students learn how atomic radius follows predictable periodic trends across each row of the chart."
Characterized by sentences in which the main clause or central meaning is withheld until the very end for rhetorical effect.
"Cicero was famous for his mastery of the complex, periodic style of Latin prose."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Periodic' refers to events that occur at regular or recurring intervals (e.g., periodic inspections), whereas 'periodical' is most commonly used as a noun for a magazine or journal published at regular intervals, though it can occasionally function as an adjective.
• Rhymes for periodic
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Middle French 'périodique' and Latin 'periodicus' from Ancient Greek 'periodikos' (coming round at intervals, cyclical), derived from 'periodos' (a going around, cycle, or circuit).