diary
Americannoun
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diaries
plural
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a daily record, usually private, especially of the writer's own experiences, observations, feelings, attitudes, etc.
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a book for keeping such a record.
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a book or pad containing pages marked and arranged in calendar order, in which to note appointments and the like.
noun
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a personal record of daily events, appointments, observations, etc
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a book for keeping such a record
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of diary
1575–85; < Latin diārium daily allowance, journal, equivalent to di ( ēs ) day + -ārium -ary
Explanation
Dear diary, you are a written record of things that happen each day. Some people keep a diary while they’re traveling, others keep their secrets in a diary. Either way, keep out! Some diaries have a pretty cover and a tiny lock with a key, for keeping the contents safe from prying eyes. You can also call such a book a "journal," although traditionally a diary is written in each day, while a journal might have less frequent entries. The word diary comes from the Latin word diarium, "daily allowance," with its root of dies, or "day."
Vocabulary lists containing diary
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Lesson 2–3
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Excerpt from "Kira-Kira"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
As cricket prepares to go into hibernation for the winter after the usual summer slog, Ben Stokes' playing diary is a lot quieter than previously.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
I kept a diary growing up and began writing stories early.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Through reading her mother’s diary entries, Tomlinson began to heal from the impossible standards she set for herself to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
The judge said diary entries by her suggest she was "overwhelmed by feelings of rejection, abandonment and emotional despair".
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
He also packs his diary, which he’d started when he left the United States.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
I say “meant to” because, like hormonal teenagers writing in diaries, AIs aren’t the most reliable narrators of their inner lives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Liu attracted followers on Chinese social media where he posted religious discussions, video diaries, and clips of himself singing.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
What we saw: The series featured footage from Meghan and Harry’s personal video diaries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
In theory, we could able to liberate ourselves of dull, menial tasks, such as replying to emails, going to meetings or managing calendars and diaries, by delegating these to capable bots.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
“True and true and true. I’m a born leader. I speak my mind. And it’s not like I’m reading people’s diaries or breaking into lockers. I’m observant. Your turn, Lucy.”
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
