What does blogging mean?
Blogging is the practice of writing and publishing regular entries, known as posts, on a blog — a website organised around dated or themed updates. The term derives from 'blog', itself a truncation of 'weblog', an online log or diary that emerged in the late 1990s as personal publishing on the internet became widespread. Blogging can be a casual hobby, a form of self-expression, a professional pursuit, or a marketing tool used by businesses and institutions. A person who blogs is called a blogger, and the activity spans topics from travel and cooking to politics and technology. Over time, blogging has evolved alongside social media, but it remains distinct from shorter-form platforms because it centres on longer, self-published written content hosted under the author's own control.
noun (also gerund of the verb 'blog')The activity of regularly writing and publishing posts on a blog, an online journal or informational website. It also refers to the practice or profession of producing such content.
- The activity of writing and publishing regular entries on a personal or professional website.
- The practice or industry of creating such online written content as a career or marketing activity.
"She took up blogging to document her travels across Southeast Asia."
"He spends his evenings blogging about food and restaurants in London."
"Blogging has become a legitimate source of income for many freelance writers."
The word 'blog' was coined by truncating 'weblog' — and early users jokingly called it 'wee-blog', which is where the shortened form stuck.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blogging
The word 'blog' originated in the late 1990s from 'weblog', a term coined by Jorn Barger in 1997 to describe the 'logging' of links on the web. The shortened form 'blog' appeared shortly afterwards when Peter Merholz jokingly broke the word into 'wee-blog' on his own site. From this noun came the verb 'to blog', and its gerund 'blogging' describes the act of maintaining a blog. Related forms include 'blogger' (a person who blogs) and 'vlog'/'vlogging', which apply the same pattern to video content.
Related word forms
How blogging is actually used
Informal-to-neutral register; widely understood internationally with no significant regional variation. Often used attributively (e.g. 'blogging platform', 'blogging community').
Easily confused with blogging
Vlogging refers specifically to video-based posting, whereas blogging refers to written content on a blog.