In a manner that is regular or periodic.
"The server automatically backs up all data periodically to ensure safety and recovery."
In plain English: Periodically means something happens at regular intervals over time.
"The gardener periodically checks on his plants to make sure they are growing well."
Usage: Use periodically to describe actions happening at fixed, recurring intervals rather than continuously. It often serves as a precise synonym for regularly when emphasizing the cyclical nature of an event.
The word periodically comes from the Latin root periodicus, which originally referred to something occurring within a specific cycle or interval. It entered English as an adverbial form of "periodic," describing events that happen at regular times rather than continuously.