cyclical development
noun phraseUK /ˈsɪklɪkəl dɪˈvɛləpmənt/
US /ˈsaɪklɪkəl dɪˈvɛləpmənt/
A way of growing that goes in a circle, with the same steps happening again and again.
The seasons show cyclical development, with spring, summer, autumn, and winter repeating every year.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In economics, a pattern where a business or economy grows, slows down, and grows again over time.
Housing prices often show cyclical development, rising for years and then falling.
3. In biology, the stages an organism passes through that repeat with each new generation.
The cyclical development of butterflies goes from egg to caterpillar to butterfly and back to egg.
4. A repeated pattern of change in a person's mood or behavior over time.
Her energy levels follow a cyclical development, high in the morning and low at night.