seasonal

adjective sea·son·al \ ˈsēz-nəl , ˈsē-zᵊn-əl \

|Updated on: 18 Aug 2018

Examples: seasonal in a Sentence

Definition of seasonal

1 : of, relating to, or varying in occurrence according to the season

seasonal storms

2 : affected or caused by seasonal need or availability

seasonal industries

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seasonality

play \ˌsē-zə-ˈna-lə-tē\ noun

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seasonally

play \ˈsēz-nə-lē, ˈsē-zᵊn-ə-lē\ adverb

See seasonal defined for English-language learners

See seasonal defined for kids

Examples of seasonal in a Sentence

The rise in gas prices is seasonal.
The store hires seasonal workers during the holidays.

Recent Examples of seasonal from the Web

The blood sausage slab on top of a buckwheat galette that surfaced at the end of June was as seasonal as earmuffs.

— New York Times, "It’s Not Fake French, It’s Frenchette," 10 July 2018
Hazer also teamed up with 24 Carrots, a local café, to brew a special, seasonal beer that highlights Arizona’s citrus.

— grace palmieri, azcentral, "16 Arizona distillers, brewers, bartenders and others helping us drink smarter," 3 July 2018
Six of the sweet doughnuts on the Donut Monster menu would be year-round flavors; many more would be seasonal.

— carol deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Donut Monster coming at you (pop-ups first, a store later)," 3 July 2018
This no-frills taproom offers the popular brewery’s more seasonal beers.

— michael candelaria, OrlandoSentinel.com, "DeBary Neighborhood Guide," 21 June 2018
Bar manager Vance Daniels is behind a rotating list of seasonal beers, and the bar will also feature a liquor lineup that’s heavy on the tequila and mezcal.

— jenn harris, latimes.com, "This world-famous chef is opening a coffee shop and soul food restaurant in West Adams," 19 June 2018
Experts think seasonal epidemics such as flu would be better controlled if sick workers could stay home and take care of themselves without worrying about getting pay docked.

— anne saker, Cincinnati.com, "We’re almost done with a brutal flu season. Get ready now for next year.," 2 Apr. 2018
In these parts, chefs have embraced the local and seasonal, foraging and fermenting with the best of them.

— devra first, BostonGlobe.com, "What’s on the menu at Falmouth’s Buffalo Jump? ‘Weird food that only weirdos like’," 11 July 2018
Adults will appreciate the spacious spas and the multiple dining venues, where seasonal and local produce is an emphasis.

— New York Times, "Looking for a Weekend Escape? Here Are 5 Family-Friendly Options," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'seasonal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of seasonal

1838

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Financial Definition of SEASONAL

seasonality

noun

What It Is

Seasonality is a fluctuation in sales or profits during the course of a fiscal year.

How It Works

For example, the restaurant industry is somewhat seasonal. Sales for many companies are stronger in summer and fall (the second and third quarter) and are lower in the winter and early spring (the fourth and first quarter). Much of this is attributable to New Year's resolutions to diet, spend less or cook more; the April 15 annual tax deadline also makes consumers more money-conscious. Accordingly, the sales of restaurant companies go up and down throughout the year but in a somewhat predictable pattern.

Why It Matters

Seasonality is a major reason that an investor or analyst can't just make an annual sales projection and then expect the company to meet 1/12 of that sales or profit projection every month. Some months will be higher, some months will be lower. Knowing how much higher or lower those sales should be month to month will make for more accurate seasonal projections.

Source: Investing Answers