diary
DEYE-uh-ree
Diary (noun) means a book in which someone records their daily thoughts, feelings, or experiences. Example: “I wrote about my first day at the new school in my diary.”
noun
1
A book in which someone records their daily thoughts, feelings, or experiences.
"I wrote about my first day at the new school in my diary."
"She has kept a diary since she was twelve years old."
"His teenage diary was full of embarrassing confessions."
2
(British) A book or app for recording appointments and plans; a personal organizer.
"The dentist's appointment is already in my diary, so please don't book anything else."
"Her diary is so full this month that she cannot fit in lunch."
"Let me check my diary before we set a meeting time."
How to use diary
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA personal record of daily events, or (in British English) a schedule book of appointments.
UK vs US
In British English, "diary" often means a scheduling calendar ("check my diary"); American English uses "calendar" or "schedule" for that meaning and reserves "diary" for a personal journal.
Common pairings
keep a diary
write in a diary
check my diary
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Word forms
- Plural
- diaries
- Third person singular
- diaries
- Past tense
- diaried
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
I wrote about my first day at the new school in my _____.
Etymology
From Latin diarium ("daily allowance," later "diary"), from dies ("day").
Related words
Rhymes for diary
See all rhymes for diary →Frequently asked questions
What does “diary” mean?
The word “diary” means a book in which someone records their daily thoughts, feelings, or experiences. In plain terms, a personal record of daily events, or (in British English) a schedule book of appointments.
How do you pronounce “diary”?
“Diary” is pronounced DEYE-uh-ree (/ˈdaɪ.ə.ɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “diary” in a sentence?
Here is “diary” used in a sentence: “She has kept a diary since she was twelve years old.”
What part of speech is “diary”?
“Diary” is a noun.
Where does the word “diary” come from?
The word “diary” comes from Latin. From Latin diarium ("daily allowance," later "diary"), from dies ("day").
Is “diary” a common word?
“Diary” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “diary” have?
“Diary” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a book in which someone records their daily thoughts, feelings, or experiences.
What is the difference between a diary and a journal?
Both are books for recording personal thoughts and experiences, and in everyday use the words overlap heavily. A diary suggests dated, day-by-day entries about what happened and how you felt, while a journal is a broader term that can include reflections, ideas, sketches, or project notes on no fixed schedule. Journal is also the more common choice in American English.
What is the difference between diary and dairy?
A diary (i before a) is a book in which someone records daily thoughts, feelings, or appointments. Dairy (a before i) means milk and foods made from it, or a farm where milk is produced. They are spelled with the same five letters, which makes them one of the most commonly confused word pairs in English.
What do British people mean when they say "check my diary"?
In British English, a diary is also a book or app for recording appointments and plans — what American English usually calls a planner, calendar, or datebook. So "let me check my diary" means "let me look at my schedule," not "let me read my private journal."
Is a diary always private?
A diary is by definition a personal record of thoughts and experiences, but nothing about the word requires secrecy, and many diaries are later published or shared. In the British appointment-book sense, a diary is often deliberately shared, for example when colleagues manage each other's diaries at work.
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