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Definition of periodically - 3 dictionary results

pe⋅ri⋅od⋅ic

1  [peer-ee-od-ik]
Use periodically in a Sentence
–adjective
1. recurring at intervals of time: periodic revivals of an interest in handicrafts.
2. occurring or appearing at regular intervals: periodic visits of a mail steamer to an island.
3. repeated at irregular intervals; intermittent: periodic outbreaks of the disease.
4. Physics. recurring at equal intervals of time.
5. Mathematics. (of a function) having a graph that repeats after a fixed interval (period) of the independent variable.
6. Astronomy.
a. characterized by a series of successive circuits or revolutions, as the motion of a planet or satellite.
b. of or pertaining to a period, as of the revolution of a heavenly body.
7. pertaining to or characterized by rhetorical periods, or periodic sentences.
Origin:
1635–45; < L periodicus < Gk periodikós. See period, -ic

Related forms:
pe⋅ri⋅od⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To periodically
pe·ri·od·ic   (pîr'ē-ŏd'ĭk)   
adj.  
  1. Having or marked by repeated cycles.
  2. Happening or appearing at regular intervals.
  3. Recurring or reappearing from time to time; intermittent.
  4. Characterized by periodic sentences.
pe'ri·od'i·cal·ly adv.
Synonyms: These adjectives all mean recurring or reappearing now and then. Something periodic occurs at regular or at least generally predictable intervals: periodic feelings of anxiety.
Sporadic implies scattered, irregular, unpredictable, or isolated instances: sporadic bombing raids.
Intermittent describes something that stops and starts at intervals: intermittent rain showers.
What is occasional happens at random and irregularly: occasional outbursts of temper.
Something fitful occurs in spells and often abruptly: fitful bursts of energy.

Usage Note: In technical use, periodic means "at regular or predictable intervals," as in the Periodic Table of the Elements. Often, however, periodic is used to mean "occasional, intermittent." This usage can be confusing for readers who are accustomed to the narrower sense of the word. Thus the writer who says Parker's losses at the track were not covered by his periodic wins invites the (most likely unintended) inference that Parker has a system that enables him to win at regular intervals. The ambiguity can be avoided here by using occasional instead.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Periodically

Pe`ri*od"ic*al*ly\, adv. In a periodical manner.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : periodically
Spanish: periódicamente,
German: regelmäßig,
Japanese: 定期的に
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