periodical

1 of 2

adjective

pe·ri·od·i·cal ˌpir-ē-ˈä-di-kəl

Synonyms of periodical

: periodic sense 1

: published with a fixed interval between the issues or numbers

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

periodical

2 of 2

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

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Adjective

Midge’s story unfurled in 8-page increments in Naughty Bits, a periodical comic from Fantagraphics anthologizing Gregory’s work, which ran 40 issues from 1991-2004. — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Case Study 2 Faked Reviewers Using the screening tools and data available to IEEE periodical editors, an editor in chief was alerted to suspicious reviewer activity. — IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2026

Noun

When word spread that the Chief Librarian of the Army was paying a visit, soldiers rushed to request their favorite periodicals and book genres. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026 The periodical had 6,000 subscribers and a circulation of 20,000 copies. — Ed Simon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for periodical

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of periodical was in 1585

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Periodical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periodical. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

periodical

1 of 2 adjective

pe·ri·od·i·cal ˌpir-ē-ˈäd-i-kəl

: periodic sense 1

: published at regular intervals

periodically

-k(ə-)lē

adverb

periodical

2 of 2 noun

: a periodical publication

periodical

adjective

noun

Synonyms of periodical

Examples of periodical in a Sentence

Word History

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Kids Definition

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periodical

adjective

noun

Synonyms of periodical

Examples of periodical in a Sentence

Word History

Phrases Containing periodical

Rhymes for periodical

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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