pe·ri·od·i·cal
ˌpir-ē-ˈä-di-kəl 
1
2
a
: published with a fixed interval between the issues or numbers
b
: published in, characteristic of, or connected with a periodical
: a periodical publication
Examples of periodical in a Sentence
Adjective
a periodical town newsletter that is supported by local advertisers
periodical announcements from airline personnel concerning the delay
Noun
She writes for a monthly periodical.
The library has a large collection of scholarly periodicals.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
South Carolina has annual cicadas, which appear every year as the name suggests, and starting soon, the periodical Brood XIX, which emerges every 13 years in huge numbers.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
What To Know As first announced earlier this year, starting April 1, the USPS began implementing new service standards for first-class mail, periodicals, marketing mail, and package services.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for periodical
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Adjective
All this turmoil represented a huge reversal in fortune for Diamond, which grew from modest beginnings to become the sole distributor for periodical comic books, and a major distributor of games, trade books and other collectibles, from the late 1990s.
—Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
South Carolina has annual cicadas, which appear every year as the name suggests, and starting soon, the periodical Brood XIX, which emerges every 13 years in huge numbers.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
Noun
What resulted was a learning center for the 532 students who attend An Thanh Commune Primary School in the mountainous Hoai An District, complete with a computer lab, books, periodicals and furniture.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
What To Know As first announced earlier this year, starting April 1, the USPS began implementing new service standards for first-class mail, periodicals, marketing mail, and package services.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for periodical
Cite this Entry
“Periodical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periodical. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
periodical
1 of 2 adjective
pe·ri·od·i·cal
ˌpir-ē-ˈäd-i-kəl
1
2
: published at regular intervals
periodically
adverb
-k(ə-)lē
periodical
2 of 2 noun
: a periodical publication
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