Magazine
Magazine: Meaning and Origin
Magazine is a noun that usually means a regular publication containing articles, photographs, stories, news, or advertisements. It can also mean a storehouse for ammunition or the part of a firearm that holds cartridges.
Simple meaning
In everyday English, a magazine is most often a printed or online publication that appears weekly, monthly, or at another regular interval. It usually contains several different types of content, such as articles, interviews, reviews, and images.
For example, “She reads a technology magazine every month” means she regularly reads a publication about technology.
Main meanings
- A publication: a periodical containing articles, pictures, stories, and other features. Example:a fashion magazine.
- A television or radio program: a program made of several short reports or segments. Example:a weekly news magazine.
- A storehouse: a building or room where supplies, especially ammunition, are stored. Example:a naval magazine.
- A firearm part: the container that holds cartridges before they are fed into a gun. Example:He loaded the magazine.
- A camera part: a container that holds film or, in some cameras, other materials. Example:a film magazine.
Pronunciation and grammar
Magazine is pronounced /ˌmæɡəˈziːn/, roughly “mag-uh-ZEEN.” It is a countable noun.
- Singular: magazine
- Plural: magazines
- Common phrase: magazine article
- Common phrase: magazine cover
- Common phrase: magazine subscription
Origin of the word
The word magazine originally meant “storehouse,” “granary,” or “storeroom.” It entered English in the late 16th century through French magasin and Italian magazzino. These words came from Arabic makhzan, meaning “storeroom,” or makhāzin, meaning “storehouses.”
The word path is roughly:
- Arabic:makhzan, meaning “storeroom”
- Italian:magazzino, meaning “warehouse” or “storehouse”
- French:magasin, meaning “shop” or “warehouse”
- English:magazine, originally meaning “storehouse”
Later, writers began calling a collection of writings a “magazine” because it was like a storehouse of information, ideas, poems, essays, and news. The publication The Gentleman’s Magazine, first published in London in 1731, helped make this meaning popular.
Examples
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Fashion magazine | A publication about clothing, style, beauty, and related topics. |
| Technology magazine | A publication about computers, gadgets, science, and digital trends. |
| Magazine article | An article published in a magazine. |
| Magazine subscription | An arrangement to receive a magazine regularly. |
| News magazine | A TV or radio program with several news reports and features. |
| Gun magazine | The part of a firearm that stores cartridges. |
| Powder magazine | A storage place for gunpowder or ammunition. |
Magazine vs. journal
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Magazine | A general-interest publication, often with photos, interviews, and articles for a broad audience | She bought a travel magazine at the airport. |
| Journal | A serious publication, often academic or professional, containing research or specialized articles | The study was published in a medical journal. |
Related words
- Periodical: a publication that appears at regular intervals, such as a magazine, newspaper, or journal.
- Publication: something that has been published, such as a book, magazine, or newspaper.
- Editorial: an article expressing the opinion of a magazine’s editor or publisher.
- Feature: a longer, detailed article in a magazine.
- Issue: one particular edition of a magazine, such as the October issue.
In short:magazine means “a regular publication” in modern English, but its original meaning was “a storehouse.” The modern sense developed because a magazine collects and stores many different articles, images, and ideas in one place.