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Meaning & use

period

noun, adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈpɪəriəd/
US/ˈpɪriəd/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A length of time during which something happens or exists.

    Grammar: Often used with of: a period of three years. Can be plural: several periods.

    Patterns

    • a period of time
    • over a period
    • for a period

    The company had a difficult period last year.

    She lived in France for a period of two years.

    We studied the history of that period in school.

  2. nouncountable

    A division of time in a school day when a particular subject is taught.

    Grammar: Usually used with ordinal numbers: first period, second period.

    Patterns

    • first period
    • a free period
    • during a period

    I have math first period tomorrow.

    We have a free period after lunch.

    The bell rang to end the period.

  3. nouncountableAmerican

    The punctuation mark (.) used at the end of a sentence or after an abbreviation.

    Grammar: American English; British English uses full stop.

    Patterns

    • end a sentence with a period
    • put a period after something

    Don't forget to put a period at the end of the sentence.

    The abbreviation 'Dr.' is written with a period in American English.

    She ended her email with a period.

  4. nouncountablemedical

    The flow of blood from a woman's uterus that happens about once a month.

    Grammar: Often used in the plural: periods. A more formal term is menstruation.

    Patterns

    • have a period
    • start your period
    • miss a period

    Many women experience pain during their periods.

    She missed a period and went to see a doctor.

    The average menstrual period lasts about five days.

  5. adjectivebefore a noun

    Belonging to a particular historical time; of the style of a past era.

    Grammar: Used before a noun: period furniture, period costume.

    Patterns

    • period furniture
    • period costume
    • period drama

    The house is decorated with period furniture.

    The actors wore period costumes from the 1920s.

    She enjoys watching period dramas on TV.

Word forms

pluralperiods

Common combinations

a period of time
It happened over a period of several months.
time period
The dinosaur lived in a different time period.
period of study
The course includes a period of study abroad.
period costume
The actors wore period costume for the play.
put a period
Put a period at the end of that sentence.

Synonyms and how they differ

time
More general and not countable in the same way: a long time, not a long period.
span
Emphasizes the full length from start to end: a span of ten years.
era
A very long period in history, often with a distinctive character.
full stop
The British term for the punctuation mark; period is American.

Word family

periodic adjective
Happening at regular intervals.
periodically adverb
At regular intervals; from time to time.
periodical noun
A magazine or newspaper published at regular intervals.

Commonly confused: period or dot?

period vs dot

A dot is a small round mark used in various ways (e.g., in email addresses), while a period specifically ends a sentence.

Practice

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