Standard Lemma guide

ergodic

adj · 4 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

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  • /ɜɹˈɡɑdɪk/
  • /ɜɹˈɡoʊdɪk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to a previously experienced state.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of or relating to a process in which every sequence or sample of sufficient size is equally representative of the whole.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences, statistics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of or relating to a literary work that requires nontrivial effort on the reader's part to traverse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, human-sciences, information-science, literature, mathematics, media, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, publishing, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

positive recurrent aperiodic state of stochastic systems; tending in probability to a limiting form that is independent of the initial conditions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary ergo- + -ode (+ -ic). The etymological origin is disputed: ἔργον (érgon) + ὁδός (hodós, “way”) versus ἔργον (érgon) + εἶδος (eîdos, “image”).

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 遍歷的 /遍历的 (biànlì de) — of or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
  • French: ergodique — of or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
  • German: ergodisch — of or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
  • Greek: εργοδικός (ergodikós) — of or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
  • Italian: ergodico — of or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
  • Kazakh: эргодикалық (érgodikalyq) — of or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
  • Polish: ergodyczny — of or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
  • Swedish: ergodisk — of or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state