seasonal

[see-zuh-nl]

adjective

1. pertaining to, dependent on, or accompanying the seasons of the year or some particular season; periodical.

   seasonal work.

noun

1. a seasonal product, employee, etc..

   to hire seasonals.

seasonal

/ ˈsiːzənəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or occurring at a certain season or certain seasons of the year

   seasonal labour

Confusables Note

Seasonal and seasonable are sometimes interchanged, probably because of their obvious connection with season. In edited prose and in formal speech these two adjectives are almost always distinguished. Seasonal describes phenomena that occur with or depend upon a season or the seasons: seasonal fluctuations in rainfall; seasonal sales. Seasonable in reference to weather means “suitable to or characteristic of the season”: a seasonable December; seasonable temperatures for July. Seasonable also has the sense “timely, opportune”: a seasonable offer of financial assistance.

Other Word Forms

• seasonally adverb
• seasonalness noun
• multiseasonal adjective
• nonseasonal adjective
• nonseasonally adverb
• preseasonal adjective
• transseasonal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of seasonal¹

First recorded in 1830–40; season + -al ¹

Example Sentences

The work is seasonal and depends on which fruit is ready for harvesting, as well as on how many others are looking to be hired.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Over the Halloween season, customers spent on candy and costumes, but cut back on more-discretionary categories like seasonal decor, said Target’s Chief Commercial Officer Rick Gomez.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The ride’s namesake song plays give and take with “Jingle Bells” and seasonal adornments adorably enliven the leisurely boat ride with even more cheer.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Products are donated by food industry partners from surplus stock due to overstocking or seasonal packaging.

Read more on BBC

We may get the usual seasonal slowdown between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so there may not be a huge restart.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• annual 
• intermittent 
• monthly 
• occasional 
• recurrent 
• recurring 
• regular 
• repeated 
• routine 
• sporadic 
• weekly 
• yearly