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

Speaking with Andy Warhol in 1984 for Interview magazine, Parton said that controlling her songwriting was the accomplishment she was most proud of.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

A 1999 profile in the magazine No Depression—titled “The Smartest Working Woman In Show Business”—noted that the program had 2,500 participants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

Curlee, who has since resigned from the Central Intelligence Agency after 20 years of service, recently shared her experience in a first-person essay published by The Atlantic magazine.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

"Had it been the only song she'd ever written, the expression of overwhelming pride and crushing anguish... would have secured her indelible legacy," the US magazine wrote in 2023.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Dr. Masuku swatted him with a magazine from a pile by the cookhouse.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

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

She is also a poet with work featured in various online literary magazines and she has a manuscript she’s trying to publish.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

ALTER: Freestanding bathtubs look good in magazines, and they may be safe for people during their peak years of agility and fitness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Rock music magazines like Spin, NME, Alternative Press and Kerrang! were thriving.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

In July 1943, the story of the White Rose resistance group was broadcast over American radio stations and published in newspapers and magazines.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Related Words

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