periodical
peer-ee-OD-ih-kul
/ˌpɪə.riˈɒd.ɪ.kəl/
A publication issued at regular fixed intervals, such as daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
Covers magazines, academic journals, and reviews, but typically excludes books intended as standalone volumes.
The story behind the word. From Greek 'periodos', combining 'peri-' (around) and 'hodos' (way or path). The word described a circular path or completed cycle of time. By the late 17th century, English writers began calling journals and magazines 'periodicals' because they appeared strictly at the completion of set cycles—weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
Word relationships
- journal: Journal usually refers specifically to academic or professional publications, whereas periodical includes consumer magazines and serials.
- monograph: A monograph is a one-time single-subject treatise, whereas a periodical is released continuously on a schedule.
Commonly confused with
- publication: Publication is an umbrella term for any printed material, whereas periodical specifically requires regular, scheduled releases.
Word family
- periodically (adverb): at regular intervals
- periodicity (noun): the quality of recurring at regular intervals
Collocations
- bound periodical
- scholarly periodical
- periodical section
- weekly periodical
Example sentences
- "The university library maintains an extensive archive of 19th-century literary periodicals." Library science
- "Researchers are evaluated primarily by the articles they publish in peer-reviewed scientific periodicals." Academic publishing
Memory hook
PERIODIC = happening periodically on a calendar. Regularly scheduled publication.
When not to use
Do not use for standard books, single news reports, or non-recurring special publications.
Fun facts
- The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, started in 1665, is the world's oldest continuously published scientific periodical.
Related words
Explore more words
periodic, journal, publication, daily, columnist, continually
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