periodic

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌpɪriˈɑdɪk/ UK /ˌpɪəriˈɒdɪk/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
occurring or recurring at regular intervals

The machine requires periodic maintenance every six months.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · occurring or recurring at... recurrent cyclic intermittent regularrecurringsporadic

Opposites

constant continuousaperiodic

Word family

Derived forms periodically periodicity

Related forms period periodical

Etymology

From Latin periodicus, from Greek periodikos, from periodos ('a cycle, circuit'), from peri- ('around') + hodos ('way, road').

periodos Ancient Greek peri Ancient Greek hodos Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# periodic

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌpɪriˈɑdɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌpɪəriˈɒdɪk/

## Meanings
1. occurring or recurring at regular intervals

## Examples
- The machine requires periodic maintenance every six months.

## Synonyms
- recurrent
- cyclic
- intermittent
- regular
- recurring
- sporadic

## Antonyms
- constant
- continuous
- aperiodic

## Derived Forms
- periodically
- periodicity

## Related Forms
- period
- periodical

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: periodos
- Root: peri
- Root: hodos

## Etymology
From Latin periodicus, from Greek periodikos, from periodos ('a cycle, circuit'), from peri- ('around') + hodos ('way, road').

## AI Etymology
Periodic is from Latin periodicus, from Greek periodikos, from periodos ('a cycle, circuit'), from peri- ('around') + hodos ('way, road'). Important recorded forms include periodos (Ancient Greek), peri (Ancient Greek), and hodos (Ancient Greek). Morphologically, the word preserves a built structure whose named elements carry the historical sense into English. The modern sense remains close to that composition, with the parts narrowing into a single lexical item. In current use it covers occurring or recurring at regular intervals. The wider family includes derived forms such as periodically and periodicity and related words such as period and periodical.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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