Diary Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms diary American [dahy-uh-ree] / ˈdaɪ ə ri /

noun

plural

diaries

1. a daily record, usually private, especially of the writer's own experiences, observations, feelings, attitudes, etc.

   Synonyms: chronicle, log, daybook, journal

2. a book for keeping such a record.

   Synonyms: chronicle, log, daybook, journal

3. a book or pad containing pages marked and arranged in calendar order, in which to note appointments and the like.

diary British / ˈdaɪərɪ /

noun

1. a personal record of daily events, appointments, observations, etc

2. a book for keeping such a record

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of diary

1575–85; < Latin diārium daily allowance, journal, equivalent to di ( ēs ) day + -ārium -ary

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But her success feels hollow after she reads the diaries that Lila has given her for safekeeping.

From The Wall Street Journal

She found her own name in his diaries but an incorrect phone number - so she knew this was not how her story was leaked.

From BBC

For all the criticism of England's pre-series plans in Australia, the immovable obstacle to more warm-up matches was a white-ball tour of New Zealand that had been in the diary for years.

From BBC

This included a diary she had written while in prison, an extremely rare ancient account of a woman’s life by the woman herself.

From The Wall Street Journal

It does this through an impressive array of artifacts—uniforms, powder horns, various weapons and a diary—that personalize these important battles.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• account
• journal
• log
• notebook

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.