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.

Years earlier, Joshua L. Steiner kept a diary while working as a senior official in the Treasury Department under President Bill Clinton.

From The Wall Street Journal

He kept a diary of séance specifics, noting weather conditions and the level of darkness in the room.

From Literature

Little remains of Stanley's letters and diaries "which is really frustrating but adds to the idea that he was a private man," he said.

From BBC

Pirogova documents her treatment on Instagram, posting videos that she once jokingly called "the diary of a vampire".

From Barron's

A few Southern California’s early diaries survive, in an altered fashion, from their origins.

From Los Angeles Times

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.