journal

1 of 2

noun

jour·​nal ˈjər-nᵊl 

1

a

: a daily newspaper

—usually used in titles

The Wall Street Journal

b

: a periodical dealing especially with matters of current interest

an academic journal

—often used in titles

The Journal of the American Medical Association

2

a

: a record of experiences, ideas, or reflections kept regularly for private use : diary

b

: a record of current transactions

especially : a book of original entry in double-entry bookkeeping

c

: an account of day-to-day events

d

: a record of transactions kept by a deliberative or legislative body

e

: log sense 3

f

: log sense 4

3

: the part of a rotating shaft, axle, roll, or spindle that turns in a bearing

journal

2 of 2

verb

journaled; journaling; journals

transitive + intransitive

: to keep a personal journal : to enter or record daily thoughts, experiences, etc., in a journal

As a kid, I journaled about everything from boys to bad haircuts.

—Redbook

The principal at the school says since students began journaling last year, poor behavior reports have dropped 40 percent.

—Stephanie Stahl

The students engaged in several process discussions to reflect on their service-learning projects, and they journaled their reactions.

—Roeper Review

journaler noun

plural journalers

You don't have to be a writer to be a journaler, but journal keeping will make you a writer anyway.

—Robert Moss

journaling

ˈjər-nᵊl-iŋ 

noun

Change your attitude about being awake at night. Savor this time alone for journaling or personal reflection.

—Self Healing

First on the agenda for this crew: a process dieticians call journaling, which involves jotting down every single thing eaten for several days …

—Family Circle

Synonyms of journal

Noun

• newspaper
• periodical
• magazine
• book

Examples of journal in a Sentence

Noun

I've been keeping a journal for several years.

She records her dreams in a journal.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The sudden appearance of a venomous pit viper named Gary De’Snake (Ke Huy Quan) sends the partners on a dangerous mission to find out why reptiles are outsiders in Zootopia and how Gary is connected to an old journal that contains the patent for the weather walls that create the city’s ecosystem. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025

Since the mid-20th century, the summit of Mount Rainier has likely declined more than 20 feet due to snow and ice melt, according to research recently published in the journal Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research (AAAR). —Daniel Peck, ABC News, 25 Nov. 2025

Verb

So the singer-songwriter spent a lot of time going to bookstores, trying to read, journal and spend time with language again. —Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025

There’s a room to journal and reflect, a room to grab—what else?—matcha, and a room to ogle a four-poster bed decked out in the brand’s popular Summer Berries print. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 24 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, service book containing the day hours, from Anglo-French jurnal, from jurnal, adjective, daily, from Latin diurnalis, from diurnus of the day, from dies day — more at deity

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Verb

1803, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing journal

• journal box

Rhymes for journal

• colonel
• kernel
• sternal
• vernal
• diurnal
• eternal
• external
• fraternal
• infernal
• internal
• maternal
• nocturnal

Kids Definition

journal

noun

jour·​nal ˈjərn-ᵊl 

1

a

: a brief account of daily events : diary

b

: a record of the happenings of a conference or a legislative body

2

a

: a daily newspaper

b

: a magazine that reports on things of special interest to a particular group

Etymology

Noun

Middle English journal "a religious service book containing the day hours," from early French jurnal (same meaning), from jurnal (adjective) "daily," derived from Latin diurnus "of the day, daily," from dies "day" — related to diary, journey see Word History at journey