acyclic

Having no cycles

Acyclic means not forming a cycle or loop.

In chemistry, an acyclic compound has a molecular structure arranged in chains rather than rings: acyclic hydrocarbons.

In mathematics and computer science, an acyclic graph contains no path that returns to its starting point.

The word appears almost exclusively in technical contexts.

chemistry

alkane

Saturated hydrocarbon series

alkeneDoubly-bonded carbon compound
alkyneTriple-bonded carbon compound
hydrocarbonAll-carbon-and-hydrogen compound

ketone · aldehyde · ester · ether · amine · alcohol · carbonyl · organic · synthesis · saturation

graph

directed

Gave guidance or orders

topologicalConcerning continuous spatial properties
vertexPoint where edges converge
edgeBoundary or sharpness

node · tree · forest · path · traversal · dependency · hierarchy · scheduling · sorting · algorithm

sequential

linear

Arranged in straight succession

nonrepeatingOccurring only once
terminatingBringing to an end
one-wayPermitting single direction travel

irreversible · progressive · unidirectional · finite · endpoint · straight · unbranched · noncircular · open-ended · direct

Opposites

structural cyclicity (chemistry/mathematics)

acycliccyclic

Repeating in sequence

cyclical · heterocyclic · ring-shaped · circular · closed-loop

temporal pattern

acycliccyclic

Repeating in sequence

cyclical · periodic · periodical · recurring · repetitive

Family

cycle, bicycle, tricycle, cyclic, encyclopedia, cyclist, unicycle

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