seasonality

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The way something changes or varies according to the seasons or regular yearly cycles.

   Grammar: Usually uncountable; use 'the seasonality of' to talk about a particular pattern.

   Patterns

   • the seasonality of something
   • seasonality in something
   • seasonality affects something

   The seasonality of tourism means the beaches are crowded in July and empty in January.

   Farmers plan for the seasonality of crop prices.

2. 2noununcountablebusinessfinance

   In business and economics, the tendency for sales, demand, or prices to rise and fall at the same time each year.

   Grammar: Common in business contexts; often used with 'strong', 'low', or 'adjust for'.

   Patterns

   • adjust for seasonality
   • seasonality in demand
   • seasonality of sales

   Retailers adjust their forecasts for seasonality, knowing December is always busier.

   The report noted strong seasonality in ice cream sales.

Common combinations

seasonality of demand

Airlines must manage the seasonality of demand carefully.

adjust for seasonality

Economists adjust for seasonality when comparing monthly job figures.

strong seasonality

The hotel industry has strong seasonality in many resort towns.

seasonality pattern

The graph shows a clear seasonality pattern.

Synonyms and how they differ

seasonal variation

A more general phrase for changes linked to seasons; seasonality is the abstract noun.

periodicity

Refers to any regular repeating cycle, not only yearly ones.

Word family

seasonal adjective

Happening or available during a particular season.

seasonally adverb

In a way that relates to the seasons.

season noun

One of the four main parts of the year.

Commonly confused: seasonality or seasonal?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “seasonality”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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