periodically

Meanings

1. 1adverbnot comparable

   At regular or fairly regular intervals of time.

   Grammar: Usually sits before the main verb or at the end of the clause: checked periodically.

   Patterns

   • check periodically
   • review periodically

   The filters should be replaced periodically.

   Inspectors visit the factory periodically.

   She periodically backs up her files to a hard drive.

2. 2adverbnot comparable

   From time to time, without a strict schedule.

   Grammar: Looser than the first sense, close to occasionally.

   Patterns

   • periodically + verb

   He periodically calls his old teacher to say thanks.

   The river periodically floods the lower fields.

   We periodically argue about where to spend the holidays.

Common combinations

periodically review

Managers should periodically review the budget.

periodically update

The app is periodically updated with new features.

check periodically

Check the tire pressure periodically.

periodically erupt

The volcano periodically erupts.

periodically flare up

The rash periodically flares up.

Synonyms and how they differ

regularly

Regularly stresses a steady pattern, while periodically may be looser and more spaced out.

occasionally

Occasionally has no hint of any pattern, whereas periodically often implies one.

intermittently

Intermittently means on and off with gaps, often of an unplanned kind, such as a fault.

sporadically

Sporadically suggests scattered, unpredictable events, unlike the rhythm of periodically.

Opposites

Word family

period noun

a length of time

periodic adjective

happening at intervals

periodical noun

a magazine published at regular intervals

periodicity noun

the tendency to recur at intervals

Commonly confused: periodically or periodic?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “periodically”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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