periodical

1 of 2

adjective

pe·​ri·​od·​i·​cal ˌpir-ē-ˈä-di-kəl How to pronounce periodical (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Annual cicadas insects typically have green bodies with black markings, and are usually larger than periodical ciacadas, Chris Hayes, a postdoctoral scholar at N.C. State University who specializes educating the pest management industry on critter habits, previously told The Charlotte Observer. Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2025 The shift from law as public spectacle to more opaque forms of discipline coincided with an unprecedented expansion of the periodical press. Sarah C. Schaefer, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
The Democrat and the Gazette even blamed the Black residents of Elaine for the violence and the Black periodicals the Chicago Defender and The Crisis (the NAACP’s magazine) for inciting racial hatred. Christmaelle Vernet & Kathy Roberts Forde / Made By History, TIME, 28 Feb. 2025 The expert testimony that the jury didn’t hear was presented by affidavit and published in periodicals around the nation. Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 14 Jan. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Periodical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periodical. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

periodical

1 of 2 adjective
pe·​ri·​od·​i·​cal ˌpir-ē-ˈäd-i-kəl How to pronounce periodical (audio)
1
2
: published at regular intervals
periodically
-k(ə-)lē
adverb

periodical

2 of 2 noun
: a periodical publication

More from Merriam-Webster on periodical

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