Standard Lemma guide

polycyclic

adj · noun · 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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1

adj

Meaning 1

Involving more than one cycle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Having the members of a series, such as a calyx or corolla, in several circles.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A polycyclic compound.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pleh1- Proto-Indo-European *polh1ús Ancient Greek πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)lbor. English poly- 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 English polycyclic From poly- + cyclic.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: полицикличен (policikličen) — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule
  • Catalan: policíclic — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule
  • Chinese Mandarin: 多環的 /多环的 (duōhuán de) — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule
  • Finnish: polysyklinen — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule
  • French: polycyclique — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule
  • German: polycyclisch — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule
  • Greek: πολυκυκλικός (polykyklikós) — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule
  • Hungarian: policiklusos — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule
  • Italian: policiclico — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule
  • Manx: yl-faineydagh — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule
  • Polish: policykliczny — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule
  • Russian: полицикли́ческий (policiklíčeskij) — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule
  • Spanish: policíclico — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule
  • Turkish: polisiklik — having two or more rings of atoms in the molecule