Meaning & use
non-cyclic
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Not happening in a repeating cycle or circle; not returning to the same stage again and again.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after 'be': a non-cyclic process.
Patterns
- non-cyclic process
- be non-cyclic
Photosynthesis in some bacteria follows a non-cyclic pathway that does not return to its starting point.
The changes in the market were non-cyclic and hard to predict.
adjectivenot comparablechemistryspecialist
In chemistry, describing a molecule whose atoms form a chain rather than a ring.
Grammar: Common in chemistry before nouns like 'compound' or 'structure'.
Patterns
- non-cyclic compound
- non-cyclic structure
Butane is a non-cyclic hydrocarbon, while benzene is cyclic.
The team studied both cyclic and non-cyclic forms of the molecule.
Common combinations
- non-cyclic process
- The reaction follows a non-cyclic process.
- non-cyclic compound
- Chemists often compare cyclic and non-cyclic compounds.
- non-cyclic electron flow
- Non-cyclic electron flow produces oxygen in plants.
Synonyms and how they differ
- acyclic
- 'Acyclic' is the more formal term in chemistry and mathematics; 'non-cyclic' is plainer and more general.
Opposites
Word family
- cycle noun
- A series of events that repeat in the same order.
- cyclic adjective
- Happening in a repeating cycle.
Commonly confused: non-cyclic or acyclic?
non-cyclic vs acyclic
'Acyclic' is used mostly in technical fields; 'non-cyclic' is a broader word that can describe any process that does not repeat.
Practice
In chemistry, a non-cyclic compound has atoms arranged in a ______.
Choose one answer.
A non-cyclic compound has a chain of atoms, not a ring. 'Ring' and 'circle' describe cyclic structures, which is the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “non-cyclic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.