Spanish word

ciclo

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈθiklo/

Meaning

  • masculine nouncycle

Example

¿Conoces el ciclo de la luna?

Do you know the lunar cycle?

Illustration for ciclo (cycle)

More examples

Para romper el ciclo económico negativo hacen falta políticas eficaces.

To break the negative business cycle, effective policies are needed.

Core concept

Loop of phases that repeat over time.

Common phrases

  • ciclo económico

    business cycle

  • ciclo de vida

    life cycle

Similar words

periodo: The length of time for one complete round before conditions repeat.
fase: One distinct stage within a changing process or cycle.
etapa: A distinct period in the progress of something, marked as a stage.
ritmo: The speed or regular pattern at which events or actions repeat.

Definition in Spanish

Serie de fases que se suceden y vuelven al punto inicial; usado para procesos naturales o sociales que se repiten.

Word origin

Borrowed via Latin from Greek kyklos 'circle' or 'wheel', the word developed the sense of a series of phases that recur.

Usage tips

  • For menstruation, Spanish uses ciclo menstrual for the whole recurring biological process, while periodo usually refers to a single menstrual bleed.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word