journal

American  

[jur-nl] / ˈdʒɜr nl /

noun

1. a daily record, as of occurrences, experiences, or observations.

   She kept a journal during her European trip.

2. a newspaper, especially a daily one.

3. a periodical or magazine, especially one published for a special group, learned society, or profession.

   the October issue of The English Journal.

4. a record, usually daily, of the proceedings and transactions of a legislative body, an organization, etc.

5. Bookkeeping.

   1. a daybook.

   2. (in the double-entry method) a book into which all transactions are entered from the daybook or blotter to facilitate posting into the ledger.

6. Nautical. a log or logbook.

7. Machinery. the portion of a shaft or axle contained by a plain bearing.

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verb (used without object)

1. to write self-examining or reflective journal entries, especially in school or as part of psychotherapy.

   Students should journal as part of a portfolio assessment program.

journal British  

/ ˈdʒɜːnəl /

noun

1. a newspaper or periodical

2. a book in which a daily record of happenings, etc, is kept

3. an official record of the proceedings of a legislative body

4. accounting

   1. Also called: Book of Original Entry.  one of several books in which transactions are initially recorded to facilitate subsequent entry in the ledger

   2. another name for daybook

5. the part of a shaft or axle in contact with or enclosed by a bearing

6. a plain cylindrical bearing to support a shaft or axle

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Other Word Forms

• journalary adjective
• journalish adjective

Etymology

Origin of journal

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Old French journal “daily,” from Late Latin diurnālis; diurnal

Explanation

If you keep a daily––or at least somewhat regular––written account of your life, you are keeping a diary or journal. A journal is also a periodical, such as a scientific journal or a scholarly journal. Journal comes from an Old French word which meant daily (jour being the French word for day, as in soup du jour, or “soup of the day”). You can keep a journal in an old notebook, on the computer, or on scraps of paper, but if you keep it in a book made especially for that purpose, then that physical book (whether you've written in it or not) is called a journal.

Example Sentences

Doctors may also need to interpret common Alzheimer’s tests differently for each sex, according to new Georgia State research, published in the journal Brain Communications.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

The study, published in the journal Science, says the intensity and duration of the violence may inform how early human conflict developed.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Shipping journal Lloyd's List estimated around 800 ships have been stuck in the Gulf since the end of February, when hostilities broke out.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

The findings appear in the journal Science Advances, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

So I’ve decided I will unburden myself of all my secret thoughts in this journal, through pretend letters to you.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Related Words

• account
• almanac
• annals
• calendar
• daily
• diary
• gazette
• magazine
• memoir
• monthly
• newspaper
• note
• paper
• periodical
• publication
• review
• tabloid
• weekly