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Synonyms

seasonal

American  
[see-zuh-nl] / ˈsi zə 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 British  
/ ˈsiːzənəl /

adjective

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

    seasonal labour
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Commonly Confused

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

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

Etymology

Origin of seasonal

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

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.

Cholla gardens and brittlebush rise from pale alluvial slopes, and a seasonal stream leads to one of California’s few native fan palm oases.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Australian tourist Olivia Martell-Groves went all in for the seasonal experience, and donned a flower-printed kimono while marvelling at the flowers.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Discounts can also be had depending on seasonal promotions and partnerships between streamers.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

One practical frustration has eased, however, with smartphones and connected devices now updating automatically, the seasonal time change is harder to miss —even if the debate around it remains unresolved.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

In some exceptional cases, when food sources were particularly rich, bands settled down in seasonal and even permanent camps.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

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.