What does magazine mean?
A magazine is a periodical publication produced at regular intervals, such as weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Its contents may include articles, interviews, reviews, photographs, fiction, and advertisements, and it may be printed, digital, or both. In everyday use, the word is especially associated with glossy publications devoted to fashion, culture, hobbies, or current affairs, although the term does not imply a particular subject or frequency. The word also has older and more specialized meanings: a magazine can be a storehouse or storeroom, and in firearms terminology it means a detachable container holding cartridges. The verb form exists mainly in technical or literary contexts, as in placing ammunition into a magazine or storing goods in one. These uncommon senses reflect the word’s history: its modern publication meaning developed from an older sense associated with storage.
A periodical publication issued at regular intervals. More rarely, it means a storehouse or storeroom, or a detachable ammunition holder.
"That magazine is known for its long interviews and literary reviews."
The publication sense is by far the most common in modern usage.
To put ammunition into a magazine, or to store goods in a magazine.
"The loader magazined the cartridges one by one."
This is a relatively uncommon and specialized use.
The standard plural is magazines, with the final e retained.
"The shelves were filled with travel magazines and guidebooks."
The word once meant a storehouse; only later did “magazine” come to mean a periodical filled with articles and photographs.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does magazine come from?
Magazine entered English from French in the early 17th century, originally meaning a storehouse or storeroom. The word comes through Medieval Latin from Greek magazinē, meaning a storehouse, and the sense for a periodical publication developed later. The related French magasin, Italian magazzino, and Dutch magazijn are cognates reflecting the same older storage-related meaning.
Related word forms
How magazine is actually used
The publication sense is standard and dominant in modern English in both British and American usage. The storehouse sense is uncommon and often sounds historical or formal, while the firearm and verb senses are technical.