procyclical
|pro-cyc-lic-al|
🇺🇸
/ˌproʊ.sɪˈklɪkəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌprəʊ.sɪˈklɪkəl/
moves with the (business) cycle
Etymology
'procyclical' originates from modern English, formed from the prefix 'pro-' (from Latin 'pro') and 'cyclical' (from Greek 'kyklos' via Latin/French), where 'pro-' meant 'for' or 'forward' and 'kyklos' meant 'circle' or 'cycle'.
'procyclical' developed by combining the Latin-derived prefix 'pro-' with the adjective 'cyclical' (itself from Greek 'kyklos' → Latin/French 'cycle'), and the compound came into use in economic writing in the 20th century to describe variables or policies that move with the business cycle.
Initially the components literally suggested 'in the direction of a cycle', but over time the compound evolved into the technical economic sense 'moving with or amplifying the business cycle'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
moving in the same direction as the overall economic or business cycle; tending to increase in expansions and decrease in contractions.
Employment is generally procyclical: it rises during economic expansions and falls during recessions.
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Adjective 2
describing policies or effects that tend to amplify economic fluctuations by reinforcing the current phase of the cycle.
Certain tax cuts can be procyclical if they disproportionately boost demand during booms, increasing the risk of overheating.
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Last updated: 2025/10/20 01:47