journal
Definitions
A personal record written regularly; a diary.
日记；日志。
A periodical, especially a serious or academic publication on a particular subject.
期刊，杂志（尤指某一领域的严肃或学术刊物）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin diurnālis, 'daily' (from diēs, day). A journal is something kept or issued by the day: privately, a diary you fill in each day; publicly, a periodical that comes out on a regular schedule. The single root 'daily' splits into a personal sense and a publishing sense.
Root journal still carries 4 more wordsUsage Guide
Two distinct senses share the word. 'Keep a journal' = diary. 'A journal' / 'in a journal' usually = a periodical (often academic: a peer-reviewed journal). Context tells them apart. Note: many famous newspapers are called Journal (e.g., the Wall Street Journal), so 'journal' can also signal a newspaper.
Example Sentences
- 1.
She keeps a journal and writes in it every night before bed.
- 2.
His research was published in a leading medical journal.
- 3.
Keeping a journal helped him process a difficult year.
Easily Confused
journal vs diary — Heavily overlapping for personal writing, but a diary is often a dated book for short daily notes/appointments, while a journal suggests freer, more reflective writing. Also, journal (not diary) is the word for an academic periodical.