magazine

American  

[mag-uh-zeen, mag-uh-zeen] / ˌmæg əˈzin, ˈmæg əˌzin /

noun

• magazines
  plural

1. a publication that is issued periodically, usually bound in a paper cover, and typically contains essays, stories, poems, etc., by many writers, and often photographs and drawings, frequently specializing in a particular subject or area, as hobbies, news, or sports.

2. a room or place for keeping gunpowder and other explosives, as in a fort or on a warship.

3. a building or place for keeping military stores, as arms, ammunition, or provisions.

4. a metal receptacle for a number of cartridges, inserted into certain types of automatic weapons and when empty removed and replaced by a full receptacle in order to continue firing.

5. Also called magazine show.  Radio and Television.

   1. Also called newsmagazine.  a regularly scheduled news program consisting of several short segments in which various subjects of current interest are examined, usually in greater detail than on a regular newscast.

   2. a program with a varied format that combines interviews, commentary, entertainment, etc.

6. magazine section.

7. Photography. cartridge.

8. a supply chamber, as in a stove.

9. a storehouse; warehouse.

10. a collection of war munitions.

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magazine British  

/ ˌmæɡəˈziːn /

noun

1. a periodical paperback publication containing articles, fiction, photographs, etc

2. a metal box or drum holding several cartridges used in some kinds of automatic firearms; it is removed and replaced when empty

3. a building or compartment for storing weapons, explosives, military provisions, etc

4. a stock of ammunition

5. a device for continuously recharging a handling system, stove, or boiler with solid fuel

6. photog another name for cartridge

7. a rack for automatically feeding a number of slides through a projector

8. a TV or radio programme made up of a series of short nonfiction items

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• magazinish
  adjective
• magaziny
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• magazines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of magazine

First recorded in 1575–85; from French magasin, from Italian magazzino “warehouse, depot” from Arabic makhāzin, plural of makhzan “storehouse”; in English figuratively, as “storehouse of information,” used in book titles (from c1640) and periodical titles (in The Gentleman's Magazine, 1731)

Explanation

A magazine is a printed publication that comes out regularly and includes photographs and articles. Before cell phones became popular, people used to read magazines in doctors' waiting rooms. Magazines were once only printed on paper, but today there are also online magazines. These electronic versions are similar to traditional magazines in that they publish periodically and include stories, illustrations or photos, and usually advertisements. The original definition of magazine was a space for ammunition storage, either in a building or ship, or attached to a weapon. The very first printed magazine was called "Gentleman's Magazine," from the idea that it was a "storehouse" of knowledge.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

magazine magazines

How would you describe the dynamic in the early days between you and Punk magazine co-founder John Holmstrom when it came to creating this historic magazine from scratch?

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

Born in Kano, Dangote, 67, has a net worth of around $28bn, according to Forbes magazine.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

In 1933, Fortune magazine marveled that Ford was “as much interested in the soya bean as he is in the V-8” engine.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

Film magazine Variety said Malkovich was "drumming up awards buzz" and tipped him for a possible first best actor Oscar at the next awards ceremony.

From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026

When Life magazine published a special issue with designs for fallout shelters, Kennedy added a note saying, “I urge you to read and consider seriously the contents of this issue.”

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

We know from the supermarket magazines and internet scandal sites that some actors are seemingly as crazy as these actors pretend to be.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

“Most movie magazines relied on movie studios for information and access to stars,” Terry Hoover writes for The Henry Ford.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

Big Issue vendors are struggling to sell magazines in the UK's extreme heat, which is having an "immediate" impact on their earnings, Big Issue's managing director says.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Investigators searched the man’s home and found an “illegally modified AR platform rifle,” a pistol, magazines, ammunition and body armor, among other things.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Even one of the old boxes of National Geographic magazines that Eddie said we should recycle, the broken kerosene lantern we found, the kayak paddle.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Related Words

• booklet
• brochure
• daily
• journal
• manual
• newsletter
• newspaper
• pamphlet
• paper
• periodical
• weekly