seasonal

play

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

Updated on: 26 Jul 2017

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

Seasonal and weekly ridership Seasonal changes in ridership have become apparent in the past year.

— cameron knight, Cincinnati.com, "Streetcar's second year: Ridership projections cut in half," 30 Aug. 2017
But the penalty for consistency is that the overbred flowers created for that principal come out a little boring, and the special, seasonal blooms resist it entirely.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Reflections of an Accidental Florist," 28 Aug. 2017
Ever since then, the seasonal pumpkin party has opened its doors each fall to everything from yogurt to lip balm.

— kirby adams, The Courier-Journal, "Pumpkin spice season, the fall orgy for your tastebuds, is here," 25 Aug. 2017
Miller Farm’s farmers market Shop fresh produce, baked goods, flowers and seasonal displays from the Clinton farm.

— Washington Post, "What’s happening in Prince George's County," 16 Aug. 2017
Cenderawasih is unusual in that its whale shark population is not seasonal, but present all year round.

— peter guest, The Atlantic, "What It's Like to Draw Blood From a Whale Shark," 8 Aug. 2017
An increasingly trendy, multifaceted resort, now halfway into its 10th season of operation, the Surf Lodge hosts a playfully raucous, seasonal crowd of attractive, apathetic yupsters willing to pay a premium.

— vanityfair.com, "Montauk’s Surf Lodge Leans Into Its Cool-Kid Reputation with a Premiere for Rose McGowan’s New Short Film," 24 July 2017
The New York Farm Bureau, a lobbyist group for the agriculture industry, will argue that farm work is different from other industries because of its seasonal nature and the animals require constant care.

— sarah maslin nir, New York Times, "New York Farmworkers to Argue in State Supreme Court for Right to Organize," 19 July 2017
Westerhausen taps into her Midwestern roots to offer vibrant, seasonal fare.

— joseph hernandez, chicagotribune.com, "From blog to cookbook: Plant-based eating catching on — without the dogma," 18 July 2017

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

Financial Definition of SEASONAL

seasonal

adjective

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