seasonal
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
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
Etymology
Origin of seasonal
Explanation
Seasonal things happen periodically, during a certain season. In most stores, Christmas decorations and candy canes are seasonal items. You'll probably find all kinds of fruit all year long in a large grocery store, but your local farmer's market most likely carries mainly seasonal fruit. This means they'll have apples in the fall, when they're in season, and strawberries in the spring. Workers are sometimes described as seasonal too — when they're employed just for the summer, for example: "The cafe hired lots of seasonal baristas in June."
Vocabulary lists containing seasonal
Weather and Climate - Introductory
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Weather and Climate - Middle School
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Earth Science - Middle School
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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.
Letter Stock Trader’s Almanac External link April 17: The late March market low/bottom we were looking for based upon our S&P 500 Midterm Election Year Seasonal Pattern Chart is in.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
Seasonal freezing and thawing of the ground caused fossils to break apart and shift toward the surface through a process known as cryoturbation.
From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026
Seasonal forces are beginning to “intensify” as several regions complete the transition to summer gasoline, he added.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026
Seasonal inflationary pressures from higher prices of agricultural products and services may have been offset by lower energy prices, according to analysts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
The older girls like musical competitions, radio gymnastics, a regular spot called Seasonal Tips for Those in Love that makes the younger children squeal.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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.
