Meaning & use
journalling
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“journalling” is a form of “journal”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
noununcountable
The habit of regularly writing down your thoughts, feelings or daily events in a private notebook.
Grammar: No plural and no a: journalling helps me relax, not a journalling.
Patterns
- journalling about something
- take up journalling
Journalling every evening helped her notice what made her anxious.
He took up journalling to keep track of his travels.
Many therapists recommend journalling as a way to sort out difficult feelings.
verbintransitive
The -ing form of journal: writing in a personal journal.
Grammar: Takes no object and is often followed by about: she is journalling about her week.
Patterns
- be journalling about something
- be journalling every day
She is journalling in the garden while the kids play.
He has been journalling since his first year at university.
I am journalling about the trip before I forget the details.
Common combinations
- daily journalling
- Daily journalling gave him a calmer start to the morning.
- take up journalling
- After the move she decided to take up journalling.
- reflective journalling
- Reflective journalling is part of the nursing course.
- journalling prompt
- The teacher gave each student a journalling prompt about kindness.
- benefits of journalling
- Studies describe the benefits of journalling for sleep and stress.
Synonyms and how they differ
- diary-keeping
- Diary-keeping focuses on recording events of each day, while journalling can also include ideas, goals and feelings.
- writing
- Writing is far broader, covering any text, whereas journalling is private, regular and personal.
- blogging
- Blogging is written for public readers online, while journalling is usually kept private.
Word family
- journal noun
- a notebook for personal writing, or a serious periodical
- journal verb
- to write regularly in a journal
- journaling noun
- the American spelling of journalling
- journalist noun
- a person who writes for the news media
Commonly confused: journalling or journalism?
journalling vs journalism
Journalism is professional news reporting, whereas journalling is writing privately about your own life.
Practice
Which sentence uses journalling correctly?
Choose one answer.
Journalling means writing in a personal journal and is uncountable. The other sentences confuse it with journalism or journalist, or use it as a countable person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “journalling”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.