Word Study
cyclical
CIDE DICTIONARY
cyclical, a. [Cf. F. cycluque, Gr. kykliko`s, fr. ky`klos See Cycle.].
- Of or pertaining to a cycle or circle; moving in cycles; as, cyclical time. Coleridge. [1913 Webster]
- Having atoms bonded to form a ring structure. Opposite of
acyclic ."Used most commonly in respect to organic compounds.""[Narrower terms:bicyclic ;heterocyclic ;homocyclic, isocyclic ]" [WordNet 1.5] - Recurring in cycles{2}; having a pattern that repeats at approximately equal intervals; periodic. Opposite of
noncyclic ."[Narrower terms:alternate(prenominal), alternating(prenominal) ;alternate(prenominal), every other(prenominal), every second(prenominal) ;alternating(prenominal), oscillating(prenominal) ;biyearly ;circadian exhibiting 24-hour periodicity) ;circular ;daily, diurnal ;fortnightly, biweekly ;hourly ;midweek, midweekly ;seasonal ;semestral, semestrial ;semiannual, biannual, biyearly ;semiweekly, biweekly ;weekly ;annual, yearly ;biennial ;bimonthly, bimestrial ;half-hourly ;half-yearly ;monthly ;tertian, alternate(prenominal) ;triennial ]" [WordNet 1.5] - Marked by repeated cycles{2}. [WordNet 1.5]
THESAURUS
cyclical
alternate, annular, annulate, annulose, articulated, atomatic, atomic, atomiferous, atomistic, beating, catenated, ceaseless, circinate, circling, circular, concatenated, connected, constant, continual, continued, continuing, continuous, coronary, crownlike, cyclic, cycloid, diatomic, dibasic, direct, discoid, disklike, endless, epochal, even, ever-recurring, every other, featureless, frequent, gapless, haunting, heteroatomic, heterocyclic, hexatomic, homocyclic, immediate, incessant, interminable, intermittent, isobaric, isochronal, isocyclic, isoteric, isotopic, joined, jointless, linked, measured, metronomic, monatomic, monotonous, never-ending, nonstop, oscillatory, pentatomic, perennial, periodic, periodical, pulsing, reappearing, reciprocal, recurrent, recurring, repetitive, returning, revenant, rhythmic, ring-shaped, ringlike, rotary, round, round-the-clock, rounded, running, seamless, seasonal, serial, serried, smooth, stable, steady, straight, subatomic, tetratomic, thematic, thick-coming, triatomic, tribasic, twenty-four-hour, ubiquitous, unbroken, unceasing, undifferentiated, undulant, undulatory, unending, uniform, unintermitted, unintermittent, unintermitting, uninterrupted, unrelieved, unremitting, unstopped, wavelike, wheelingROGET THESAURUS
cyclical
Periodicity
N regularity of recurrence, periodicity, intermittence, beat, oscillation, pulse, pulsation, rhythm, alternation, alternateness, alternativeness, alternity, bout, round, revolution, rotation, turn, say, anniversary, jubilee, centenary, catamenia, courses, menses, menstrual flux, rota, cycle, period, stated time, routine, days of the week, Sunday, Monday, months of the year, January, feast, fast, Christmas, Easter, New Year's day, Allhallows, Allhallowmas, All Saints' Day, All Souls', All Souls' Day, Ash Wednesday, bicentennial, birthday, bissextile, Candlemas, Dewali, groundhog day, Halloween, Hallowmas, Lady day, leap year, Midsummer day, Muharram, woodchuck day, St. Swithin's day, natal day, yearbook, yuletide, punctuality, regularity, steadiness, periodic, periodical, serial, recurrent, cyclical, rhythmical, recurring, intermittent, remittent, alternate, every other, hourly, diurnal, daily, quotidian, tertian, weekly, hebdomadal, hebdomadary, biweekly, fortnightly, bimonthly, catamenial, monthly, menstrual, yearly, annual, biennial, triennial, centennial, secular, paschal, lenten, regular, steady, punctual, regular as clockwork, periodically, at regular intervals, at stated times, at fixed established, at established periods, punctually, de die in diem, from day to day, day by day, by turns, in turn, in rotation, alternately, every other day, off and on, ride and tie, round and round.For further exploring for "cyclical" in Webster Dictionary Online
