periodic table

noun

: an arrangement of chemical elements based on the periodic law
periodic table table

Examples of periodic table in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The mural includes symbols from the periodic table of elements, and representations of Sir Isaac Newton, scientific equations and evolution — from fish to four-legged mammals to a man carrying a briefcase. — Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 Like every other element on the periodic table, helium has innumerable applications, including some that are especially important to space and spaceflight. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Eventually that carbon will begin to fuse into neon, then the neon will fuse into magnesium, and so on up the periodic table until iron builds up in the core. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026 Element 116 on the periodic table had been purely theoretical until December 2000, when scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory synthesized it for the first time. — Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for periodic table

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of periodic table was in 1890

Rhymes for periodic table

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Browse Nearby Words

periodic sentence
periodic table
periodide
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Cite this Entry

“Periodic table.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periodic%20table. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

periodic table

noun
: an arrangement of chemical elements in order of atomic number that groups elements with common characteristics in the same area of the table

Medical Definition

periodic table

noun
: an arrangement of chemical elements based on the periodic law

More from Merriam-Webster on periodic table

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about periodic table

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