periodical

[ peer-ee-od-i-kuhl ]

noun

1. a magazine or other journal that is issued at regularly recurring intervals.

adjective

1. published at regularly recurring intervals.
2. of or relating to such publications.
3. periodic ¹.

periodical

/ ˌpɪərɪˈɒdɪkəl /

noun

1. a publication issued at regular intervals, usually monthly or weekly

adjective

1. of or relating to such publications
2. published at regular intervals
3. periodic or occasional

Other Words From

• pe·ri·od·i·cal·ism noun
• pe·ri·od·i·cal·ist noun
• pe·ri·od·i·cal·ness noun
• non·pe·ri·od·i·cal adjective noun
• un·pe·ri·od·i·cal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of periodical¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; periodic ¹ + -al ¹

Example Sentences

This language continued through the 1860s, as evidenced by texts such as pro-slavery advocate J. Quitman Moore’s article in the Southern periodical De Bow’s Review titled “Feudalism in America.”

From Salon

The first periodical in Southern California was bilingual: the Los Angeles Star, which began publishing in 1851.

From Los Angeles Times

Several editors at the Columbia Law Review described the board’s intervention as an unprecedented breach of editorial independence at the periodical, which is run by students at Columbia Law School.

From Seattle Times

Mr. Tiddens said that trees of about six feet or shorter with pencil-size branches can benefit from being wrapped until the periodical cicadas are gone in several weeks.

From New York Times

When Cortni Borgerson thinks about the trillion or so periodical cicadas emerging from underground, she sees more than clumsily flying insects flitting from tree to tree in search of a mate.

From Salon

Related Words

• journal
• mag
• magazine
• monthly
• quarterly
• weekly