journal

journal — noun

1. A publication that comes out at set times (such as every month or every three mo

1.nounB1
Definition

A publication that comes out at set times (such as every month or every three months) and focuses on one area of study or professional work, containing articles written by experts.

Example

Tendai published his research on climate change in a medical journal.

publish + in + field journal

Hari reads a psychology journal every month to keep up with new findings.

read + journal + frequency phrase

Common collocations
  • medical journal
  • academic journal
  • research journal
  • publish in a journal
  • submit to a journal
Synonyms
  • periodical

    broader term that includes magazines, newsletters, and journals

  • publication

    more general; can refer to books, reports, and other printed works

  • review

    often appears in the title of academic journals, e.g. 'The Economic Review'

Grammar Patterns

publish + in + journal

submit + to + journal

Usage Note

Commonly used in academic and professional contexts. The word often collocates with field names (medical journal, psychology journal, fashion journal) and with verbs of research publication (submit to, publish in, be accepted by).

Common Mistakes

She wrote a journal article about her holiday.
She wrote a magazine article about her holiday.
Journal articles report research or expert analysis, not personal travel stories.

2. A personal notebook or digital document that you use every day to write down you

2.nounA2
Definition

A personal notebook or digital document that you use every day to write down your daily experiences and your inner thoughts about them.

Example

Jin writes in a journal every night before going to sleep.

write + in + journal + frequency

Anong's private journal from her college years shows how much she grew.

possessive + journal + from + time period

Common collocations
  • keep a journal
  • write in a journal
  • private journal
  • travel journal
  • daily journal
Synonyms
  • diary

    very close in meaning; diary is more commonly used for daily personal entries about events and emotions

  • log

    more factual and used for records of events, times, or data, e.g. a ship's log

  • blog

    an online journal, usually public and often focused on a specific topic

Grammar Patterns

keep + journal

write + in + journal

Usage Note

Can refer to either a physical notebook or a digital record. Often used in the phrases keep a journal and write in a journal.

journal — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Journal and diary are very close in meaning and are often used interchangeably in everyday English. A diary is typically a book for daily entries about personal events and feelings, while a journal can also include more focused personal records such as a travel journal or a dream journal. A log is more factual and less emotional — it records events, times, or data without personal reflection (e.g. a ship's log or a fitness log). A blog is an online version of a journal, usually public and often centered on a particular topic or interest. For example, you might keep a private journal about your feelings, maintain a daily log of your exercise routine, and publish a public blog about cooking.

diary ↗log ↗blog ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • keep a journal
  • write in a journal
  • start a journal

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word journal comes from Old French jurnal, meaning 'daily,' which itself traces back to Latin diurnalis, meaning 'of a day.' The sense of a personal daily record has been used in English since the early 1600s. The meaning expanded in the 1700s to include periodical publications that appear at regular intervals, like scholarly or professional journals.