aperiodism
|a-pe-ri-od-ism|
🇺🇸
/ˌeɪpəˈriːədɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ˌeɪpɪˈrɒdɪzəm/
lack of repeating pattern / no periodicity
Etymology
'aperiodism' originates from Modern English, built from the prefix 'a-' (meaning 'not') + 'period' + the suffix '-ism'. 'period' itself comes ultimately from Greek 'periodos' meaning 'a going around' or 'cycle'.
'aperiodism' was formed in English by attaching the negating prefix 'a-' (from Greek) and the nominalizing suffix '-ism' to the noun 'period' (from Old French/Latin < Greek 'periodos'), yielding a modern English noun meaning 'lack of period'.
Initially formed to denote 'the state of not having a period or cycle'; over time it has been used in technical (mathematical, physical) and descriptive (literary, philosophical) contexts with this core sense preserved.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the condition or quality of being aperiodic; lacking regular repetition or periodicity.
The aperiodism of the signal made it difficult to apply standard Fourier analysis.
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Noun 2
in literary or philosophical contexts, the absence of a recurring, structured pattern in time or form.
Critics noted the aperiodism in the author's narrative, which resisted conventional structure.
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Last updated: 2025/12/03 06:55