periodic sentence

noun

: a usually complex sentence that has no subordinate or trailing elements following its principal clause (as in "yesterday while I was walking down the street, I saw him")

Examples of periodic sentence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Straight declarative sentence, periodic sentence, sentence fragment. Will Harrison, New York Times, 11 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'periodic sentence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of periodic sentence was circa 1928

Dictionary Entries Near periodic sentence

Cite this Entry

“Periodic sentence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periodic%20sentence. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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