Standard Lemma guide

cyclic

adj · noun · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsaɪ.klɪk/
  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsɪk.lɪk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈsɑɪ.klɪk/
  • CMU ARPABET: S AY1 K L IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Characterized by, or moving in cycles, or happening at regular intervals; cyclical

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The weather had a cyclic pattern of rain and sun.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Having chains of atoms arranged in a ring.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

Examples

  • Benzene and cyclohexane are both cyclic compounds.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Having parts arranged in a whorl.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Being generated by only one element.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Able to be inscribed in a circle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: geometry, mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Firing at its full cyclic rate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: engineering, firearms, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

The flight control used to control a helicopter's direction and rate of horizontal movement by tilting the lift vector of the helicopter's main rotor disk.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective

Meaning 8

recurring in cycles

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cyclical

Antonyms: noncyclic

9

adjective

Meaning 9

of a compound having atoms arranged in a ring structure

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: acyclic

10

adjective

Meaning 10

forming a whorl or having parts arranged in a whorl

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • cyclic petals
  • cyclic flowers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: acyclic

11

adjective

Meaning 11

conforming to the Carnot cycle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

adjective satellite

Meaning 12

marked by repeated cycles

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kwel- Proto-Indo-European *kwékwlos Ancient Greek κύκλος (kúklos) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós) Ancient Greek κυκλῐκός (kuklĭkós)bor. Classical Latin cyclicuslbor. Middle French cyclique French cycliquebor. ▲ Classical Latin cyclicusbor. English cyclic From French cyclique or its etymon Classical Latin cyclicus, from Ancient Greek κυκλικός (kuklikós). By surface analysis, cycle + -ic. Piecewise doublet of chakric.

Across languages

Translations

62 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: cíclicu — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Belarusian: цыклі́чны (cyklíčny) — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Bulgarian: цикличен (cikličen) — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Catalan: cíclic — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Czech: cyklický — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Danish: cyklisk — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Dutch: cyclisch — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Finnish: toistuva — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Finnish: syklinen — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Finnish: säännöllinen — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • French: cyclique — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Friulian: ciclic — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • German: zyklisch — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • German: periodisch — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Greek: κυκλικός (kyklikós) — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Hebrew: מחזורי (makhzory) — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Hebrew: מחזורית (makhzoryt) — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Hungarian: ciklikus — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Indonesian: siklis — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Italian: ciclico — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Japanese: 周期的な (shūkiteki na) — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Latvian: ciklisks — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Polish: okresowy — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Polish: cykliczny — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Portuguese: cíclico — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Russian: цикли́ческий (ciklíčeskij) — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Russian: цикли́чный (ciklíčnyj) — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Scottish Gaelic: cearclach — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Spanish: cíclico — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Swedish: cyklisk — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Ukrainian: циклі́чний (cyklíčnyj) — characterized by, or moving in cycles
  • Bulgarian: пръстенен (prǎstenen) — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Bulgarian: цикличен (cikličen) — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Catalan: cíclic — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Finnish: syklinen — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • German: ringförmig — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Greek: κυκλικός (kyklikós) — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Hungarian: gyűrűs — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Hungarian: ciklikus — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Irish: fáinneach — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Italian: ciclico — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Japanese: 環式の (kanshiki no) — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Polish: pierścieniowy — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Portuguese: cíclico — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Russian: цикли́ческий (ciklíčeskij) — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Tagalog: salkupin — of a compound having chains of atoms arranged in a ring
  • Catalan: cíclic — having parts arranged in a whorl
  • Finnish: kierteinen — having parts arranged in a whorl
  • German: ringförmig — having parts arranged in a whorl
  • Irish: timthriallach — having parts arranged in a whorl
  • German: zyklisch — being generated by only one element
  • Hungarian: ciklikus — being generated by only one element
  • Italian: ciclico — being generated by only one element
  • Polish: cykliczny — being generated by only one element
  • Portuguese: cíclico — being generated by only one element
  • Russian: цикли́ческий (ciklíčeskij) — being generated by only one element
  • Swedish: cyklisk — being generated by only one element
  • Greek: εγγράψιμος (engrápsimos) — able to be inscribed in a circle
  • Hungarian: ciklikus — able to be inscribed in a circle
  • Indonesian: siklik — able to be inscribed in a circle
  • Irish: ciorclach — able to be inscribed in a circle
  • Malay: siklik — able to be inscribed in a circle
Real reading context

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