English Reference
adjective · noun

cyclical

adj. · n.
US /ˈsaɪkɫɪkəɫ/ UK /sˈaɪklɪkəl/ cycli·cal

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.happening in a regular pattern that repeats over time.

    adj.occurring in cycles or recurring at regular intervals.

    Simple

    The seasons follow a cyclical pattern that farmers have relied on for centuries.

    In context

    The researcher argued that the historical data revealed a cyclical trend in climate patterns rather than a linear progression.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical Finance

    adj.describes a business or industry that does well when the economy is strong and poorly when it is weak.

    adj.relating to or affected by the economic cycle, particularly industries that fluctuate in line with GDP.

    Simple

    The car industry is very cyclical because people buy fewer cars during a recession.

    In context

    Investors often rotate their portfolios into cyclical stocks when they anticipate a period of robust economic expansion.

    defensivenon cyclical
  3. 03 C1 Advanced Technical Finance

    n.shares in companies whose profits go up and down with the economy.

    n.securities, typically stocks, whose price is highly sensitive to macroeconomic changes.

    Simple

    He decided to sell his cyclicals before the predicted economic downturn.

    In context

    The fund manager increased the weighting of cyclicals in the portfolio to capitalise on the projected rise in consumer spending.

    cyclical stock
    defensive stock

From cyclic + -al.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated