What does journalize mean?
To journalize means to record something in a journal, especially by writing dated entries in a diary. The verb can describe a habitual practice, as in a person who journalizes every evening, or the recording of observations and experiences. It is chiefly North American and more formal than the common alternatives “journal” and “keep a diary,” though the verb form of “journal” has a different syntactic role. In academic or historical prose, “journalize” may refer to entering observations, daily events, or developments in a systematic record. The word is useful when the act of writing the record is itself significant, since it emphasizes both the journal as a medium and the practice of preserving an account. Although not highly common in everyday speech, it remains readily understandable and can add a precise, slightly formal tone.
verbTo record events, experiences, or information in a journal, especially a diary. The word is formal and relatively uncommon in everyday use.
- To record events, experiences, observations, or information in a journal.
- To maintain or write in a journal, especially as a personal diary.
"She journalized her travels each evening, preserving observations that later became the basis for a novel."
"He journalized his reflections on the election for more than a decade."
"Researchers used her journalized observations to reconstruct the expedition's progress."
A diary keeps the record; to journalize is to put the day on the page.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of journalize
“Journalize” was formed in the 19th century from “journal,” which comes through French from the Latin diarius, meaning “of a day” and ultimately from dies, “day.” The suffix “-ize” was added in the pattern of English verbs formed from nouns, producing a verb meaning to write or keep a journal. The same Latin root also underlies “journalism” and “journalist,” which developed with the modern sense of periodical publication.
Related word forms
How journalize is actually used
This verb is formal and uncommon in contemporary English. It is especially associated with personal diaries and recordkeeping, although it can also refer to systematically recording observations.
Easily confused with journalize
A journal is the record or publication itself, while to journalize is to write entries in a journal.