cyclical

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/ˈsaɪklɪkəl//ˈsɪklɪkəl/

adjective

Recurring at regular intervals.

“a cyclical embryo”

Similar
periodiccyclicperiodicalregularalternatealternatingcircularrotary
OriginProto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? ← English cyclic ← Classical Latin cyclicus →
Less commonScrabble 17
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Meanings

adjectivecyclical (comparative more cyclical, superlative most cyclical)

comparative more cyclical · superlative most cyclical

  1. Recurring at regular intervals.

    Nobody thinks the cyclical turn is possible until it's already well underway.

    2021 December 1, Charles Hugh Smith, The Long Cycles Have All Turned: Look Out Below

    Synonyms: periodic, cyclic, periodic, periodical, regular

  2. biologyRolled up circularly.

    a cyclical embryo

nouncyclical (plural cyclicals)

plural cyclicals

  1. in pluraloftenbusinessA stock of a cyclical company.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveRecurring at regular intervals.

Similar
periodiccyclicperiodicperiodicalregular

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiverecurring in cycles

Similar
cyclicalternatealternatingcircularrotaryorbital
Also see
alternatealternatingcircularclocklikecyclicorbitalperiodicperiodicalregularrotary

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kʷelh₁-redup.
  2. Proto-Indo-European*kʷékʷlos
  3. Proto-Hellenic*kʷókʷlos
  4. Proto-Hellenic*kúklos
  5. Ancient Greekκύκλος (kúklos)
  6. Ancient Greekκυκλῐκός (kuklĭkós)
  7. Classical Latincyclicu
  8. Middle Frenchcyclique
  9. Frenchcyclique
  10. Classical Latincyclicus
  11. Englishcyclic
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  13. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  14. Englishcyclical

From cyclic + -al.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish syklinen, jaksoittainen
  • syklinenrecurring at regular intervals — see also cyclic
  • jaksoittainenrecurring at regular intervals — see also cyclic
German zyklisch
  • zyklischrecurring at regular intervals — see also cyclic
Irish rialta, féiltiúil
  • rialtarecurring at regular intervals — see also cyclic
  • féiltiúilrecurring at regular intervals — see also cyclic
Persian چرخهای
  • چرخهای (čarxe-'i)recurring at regular intervals — see also cyclic
Scottish Gaelic cearclach
  • cearclachrecurring at regular intervals — see also cyclic
Spanish cíclico
  • cíclicorecurring at regular intervals — see also cyclic
Cite this entry
APA

cyclical. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cyclical

MLA

“cyclical.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cyclical. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cyclical,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cyclical.

Source: cyclical on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.