periodical

1 of 2

adjective

pe·​ri·​od·​i·​cal ˌpir-ē-ˈä-di-kəl 

1

: periodic table sense 1

2

a

: published with a fixed interval between the issues or numbers

b

: published in, characteristic of, or connected with a periodical

periodical

2 of 2

noun

: a periodical publication

Synonyms

Adjective

• episodic
• episodical
• serial
• serialized

Noun

• book
• bulletin
• diurnal
• gazette
• journal
• mag
• magazine
• newspaper
• organ
• paper
• rag
• review
• serial
• zine

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

Adjective

The periodical 13-year and 17-year brood cicadas are the loudest, partially because of the sheer number of them that emerge at once. —Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 28 May 2024

Some of the species found in the U.S. are periodical and spend most of their lives underground. —Liam Gravvat, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024

Noun

Less than a decade after Mao’s death, periodicals filled with dueling essays on contentious questions such as the relevance of Karl Marx’s theory of alienation and whether traditional Confucianism impeded China’s modernization. —Julian Gewirtz, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2022

Daily newspapers ran no images, and the technology to reproduce photographs in books or periodicals was still 40 years away. —Andrea Kaston Tange, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1798, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing periodical

• periodical cicada

Kids Definition

periodical

1 of 2 adjective

pe·​ri·​od·​i·​cal ˌpir-ē-ˈäd-i-kəl 

1

: periodic sense 1

2

: published at regular intervals

periodically

-k(ə-)lē

adverb

periodical

2 of 2 noun

: a periodical publication