Meaning & use
journal
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Meanings
nouncountable
A daily record of events, thoughts, or feelings that you write for yourself.
Grammar: Countable: you can keep a journal or write in your journal.
Patterns
- keep a journal
- write in a journal
- a journal entry
She keeps a journal to record her daily experiences.
He wrote about his trip in his journal every night.
Reading old journals can bring back memories.
nouncountable
A magazine or periodical, especially one published by a professional or academic group.
Grammar: Countable: often used with 'in' or 'for': published in a journal.
Patterns
- publish in a journal
- a medical journal
- a journal article
Her research was published in a leading scientific journal.
He subscribes to several medical journals.
The journal comes out monthly.
nouncountable
A newspaper, especially a serious one, or the title of some newspapers.
Grammar: Countable: often used in names of newspapers, e.g. The Wall Street Journal.
Patterns
- a daily journal
- The Wall Street Journal
The story was reported in a local journal.
He works as a reporter for a financial journal.
Word forms
| plural | journals |
|---|
Common combinations
- keep a journal
- Many people keep a journal to reduce stress.
- academic journal
- She submitted her paper to an academic journal.
- journal entry
- His journal entry described the beautiful sunset.
- published in a journal
- The findings were published in a medical journal.
- trade journal
- He reads a trade journal for the latest industry news.
Synonyms and how they differ
- diary
- A diary is usually a personal record with dated entries; a journal can also be a professional publication.
- periodical
- A periodical is any magazine or newspaper published regularly; a journal is often more specialized or academic.
- log
- A log is a record of events, often official or technical, while a journal is more personal or scholarly.
Word family
- journalism noun
- The activity or profession of writing for newspapers, magazines, or news websites.
- journalist noun
- A person who writes for newspapers, magazines, or news websites.
- journalistic adjective
- Relating to journalism or journalists.
Commonly confused: journal or journey?
journal vs journey
A journey is a trip from one place to another; a journal is a written record or publication.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'journal' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Journal' means a daily record or a periodical, so writing thoughts in it is correct. The other options confuse 'journal' with 'journey' (a trip).
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “journal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.