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| adj. 1. Having or marked by repeated cycles: periodic oscillations. 2. Happening or appearing regularly or from time to time: periodic dental checkups; periodic rain showers. 3. Characterized by periodic sentences. pe′ri·odi·cal·ly adv. Synonyms: periodic, sporadic, intermittent, occasional These adjectives all mean recurring or reappearing now and then. Something periodic occurs at regular or unsurprising intervals: periodic disruptions in electricity. Sporadic implies scattered, irregular, unpredictable, or isolated instances: spies who could manage only sporadic contact. Intermittent describes something that stops and starts, often with no discernible pattern: heard intermittent gunfire in the distance. What is occasional happens randomly and irregularly: a retired celebrity still making occasional appearances in public. |
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