mags

IPA/mˈaɡz/
KK[mˈæɡz]IPA/mˈæɡz/

mags — noun

1. an informal plural word for magazines, especially when people mean several issue

1.nounB2
Definition

an informal plural word for magazines, especially when people mean several issues of a particular kind.

Example

Christopher left a stack of old mags beside the sofa in the studio.

a stack of mags

Hoa grabbed two travel mags before the train pulled out of the station.

travel mags

Common collocations
  • fashion mags
  • sports mags
  • travel mags
  • a stack of mags
Synonyms
  • magazines

    the standard full form, suitable in neutral and formal writing

  • periodicals

    more formal term for magazines and similar regular publications

  • glossies

    informal and narrower; usually refers to shiny lifestyle or celebrity magazines

Grammar Patterns

some/these + mags

fashion/sports/travel + mags

a stack of mags

Usage Note

Informal plural of magazine. It is most natural when talking casually about several magazines together, often after a type word such as fashion, sports, or travel.

Common Mistakes

I bought a mags at the airport.
I bought a mag at the airport.' / 'I bought some mags at the airport.
'mags' is plural, so it cannot refer to one magazine.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Magazine' is the normal full form and works in almost any context, from school writing to shop signs. 'Mags' is much more casual and is mostly used in speech or relaxed writing when people mean several magazines together, especially entertainment, fashion, or hobby titles. 'Journal' is more formal and often suggests a serious or specialist publication rather than something light to read on a train. 'Zine' is narrower still: it usually means a small self-made or independent publication. If you are speaking casually about a pile of reading material, 'mags' sounds natural; if you are naming the publication type in a formal way, choose 'magazine' or 'journal' instead.

magazine ↗mags ↗journal ↗zine ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • fashion mags
  • sports mags
  • travel mags
  • celebrity mags

Phrases

  • a stack of mags
  • flip through mags
  • read mags on the train

Etymology

ArabicFrenchEnglish

Ultimately from Arabic 'makhazin' ('storehouses'), which passed through French 'magasin' into English 'magazine'. The short form 'mag' developed later in informal English, and 'mags' is its regular plural.