periodical

Word family

• period
  nounA2
• periodic
  adjectiveC1
• periodically
  adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all refer to printed or digital publications, but they point to slightly different things. 'Periodical' is the broadest and most formal. It simply tells you that the publication comes out in regular issues, so libraries and catalogues often use it. 'Journal' usually sounds more academic or professional, as in a medical journal. 'Magazine' is the everyday word and often suggests a wider public audience, with news, hobbies, or entertainment. 'Review' often names a serious publication with essays, criticism, or long articles, especially in literature or the arts. If a librarian says, 'The periodicals are upstairs,' they mean all regularly issued publications. If a student says, 'I found it in a journal,' the source is probably more academic.

Etymology

The adjective 'periodical' appeared in English around 1600 and was built from 'periodic' plus the ending '-al'. The noun use, meaning a publication issued again and again, is later and is recorded from the late 1700s. The older word 'periodic' came into English through French and Latin from Greek roots referring to a cycle or something that goes around and returns.