magazine

IPA/ˌmæɡəˈziːn/
KK[mˈæɡəzˌin]IPA/ˈmæɡəziːn/

magazine — noun

  • magazinesingular
  • magazinesplural

1. a regularly issued publication with a flexible cover, containing articles, pictu

1.nounA2
Definition

a regularly issued publication with a flexible cover, containing articles, pictures, and advertisements on various subjects

Example

Ramón reads a cooking magazine every month to find new recipes for his family.

collocation: reads a [topic] magazine

The public library keeps old fashion magazines from the 1990s in its reference section.

Common collocations
  • read a magazine
  • subscribe to a magazine
  • magazine article
  • magazine cover
  • magazine editor
  • fashion magazine
  • news magazine
  • weekly magazine
  • monthly magazine
Synonyms
  • journal

    more formal; usually refers to academic or professional periodicals

  • periodical

    broader term for any publication that comes out at regular intervals

  • newsletter

    shorter, less formal, often sent by organisations to members

Antonyms
  • book

    a single publication, not issued periodically

Grammar Patterns

magazine + about/on + topic

magazine + of + content

Usage Note

Magazine refers to general-interest or hobby-specific publications. For academic or scholarly periodicals, use journal instead.

Common Mistakes

I read a magazine about science yesterday called Nature.
I read a science journal called Nature yesterday.
Nature is an academic journal, not a general magazine.
The magazine comes out every day.
The newspaper comes out every day.
Magazines are typically weekly or monthly, not daily.

2. the spring-loaded container in a firearm that stores cartridges and pushes them

2.nounB2
Definition

the spring-loaded container in a firearm that stores cartridges and pushes them into position for firing

Example

The soldier removed the empty magazine from his rifle and put in a full one.

action pattern: remove/insert a magazine

Baraka checked that the handgun's magazine was fully loaded before the training session.

Common collocations
  • detachable magazine
  • empty the magazine
  • load a magazine
  • magazine release button
  • magazine spring
Synonyms
  • clip

    often used interchangeably in casual speech, but technically a different device

  • cartridge holder

    descriptive term, less common

Grammar Patterns

magazine + of + cartridges

load + magazine

Usage Note

Do not confuse magazine with clip. A clip is a strip that holds cartridges together for loading into a magazine; the magazine itself is the spring-loaded container that feeds the gun.

Common Mistakes

He loaded the bullets into the clip and inserted it into the gun.
He loaded the bullets into the magazine and inserted it into the gun.
In modern firearms, the detachable container is a magazine; a clip is a different device used to load some magazines.

3. a fortified structure or chamber designed for the secure keeping of explosives,

3.nounC1
Definition

a fortified structure or chamber designed for the secure keeping of explosives, firearms, and military supplies

Example

The old naval magazine near the coast still contains unused shells from the war.

military context: naval magazine

Anong works at a military magazine where explosives are kept under strict temperature controls.

Common collocations
  • naval magazine
  • powder magazine
  • arms magazine
  • magazine explosion
Synonyms
  • ammunition depot

    larger facility with multiple buildings, more common in modern use

  • armoury

    a place where weapons are stored and maintained, often part of a military base

  • powder magazine

    historical term specifically for gunpowder storage

Usage Note

This sense is primarily used in military, naval, and historical contexts. In everyday speech, people usually say ammunition depot or weapons store.

4. a television or radio programme that covers several different topics or focuses

4.nounB2
Definition

a television or radio programme that covers several different topics or focuses on a single subject through short reports and interviews

Example

The BBC news magazine programme reports on international stories every weekday evening.

compound: news magazine programme

Renata hosts a weekly radio magazine that features interviews with scientists and writers.

Common collocations
  • news magazine
  • magazine programme
  • magazine show
  • magazine-format programme
  • current affairs magazine
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

news + magazine

magazine + programme/show

Usage Note

Often used in compounds: news magazine, arts magazine, current affairs magazine. The word programme (British) or show (American) frequently follows magazine to clarify the medium.

5. a light-proof container inside a camera that holds a roll of film and sends it t

5.nounC1
Definition

a light-proof container inside a camera that holds a roll of film and sends it through the exposure area one frame at a time

Example

The photographer loaded a fresh magazine of film into the camera before the wedding ceremony.

action: load a magazine of film

Chidi opened the camera's magazine compartment in a dark room to protect the unexposed film.

Common collocations
  • film magazine
  • magazine compartment
  • interchangeable magazine
  • load a magazine
Synonyms
  • film back

    the detachable rear part of some cameras that holds the film

  • film cassette

    a pre-loaded light-proof container for 35mm film

Grammar Patterns

film + magazine

load + magazine

Usage Note

This sense belongs to film photography and is rarely used today except by enthusiasts and professionals working with analogue cameras. In digital photography the term is not used.

Word family

  • magazinist
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Magazine, journal, periodical, and newsletter all refer to regularly published reading material, but they differ in audience and content. A magazine (e.g. Time, National Geographic) is a general-interest or hobby publication with articles, photographs, and ads, written for a broad readership. A journal is more academic or professional — it publishes research papers, peer-reviewed studies, and technical reports intended for specialists in a field. Periodical is the broadest term, covering any publication issued at regular intervals, including both magazines and journals. A newsletter is shorter and less formal, usually produced by an organisation, club, or company to share updates with its members. For example, a university professor might publish research in a medical journal, flip through a news magazine at the airport, and read the PTA newsletter from her child's school.

magazine ↗journal ↗periodical ↗newsletter ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • magazine article
  • magazine cover
  • magazine editor
  • magazine publisher
  • magazine subscription
  • magazine rack
  • magazine stand

Adverbs

  • monthly magazine
  • weekly magazine
  • quarterly magazine
  • back issue of a magazine

Phrases

  • feature in a magazine
  • subscribe to a magazine
  • appear in a magazine
  • hit the magazine stands

Prepositions

  • magazine about
  • magazine on
  • article in a magazine

Etymology

ArabicItalianFrenchEnglish

Magazine entered English in the 1500s from French magasin (storehouse), which came from Italian magazzino, tracing back to Arabic makhāzin (مخازن), the plural of makhzan (مخزن) meaning 'storehouse'. The earliest English use referred to a building for storing goods or military supplies. By the 1700s, the word took on a new meaning: a book that 'stores' a collection of articles — a periodical publication. The firearm and camera senses developed later, each describing a container that stores and supplies something (cartridges or film).