diurnal
Intermediate (B1)
IPA: //daɪˈɜːrnəl//
KK: /daɪˈɜrnəl/
adjective
Definition
Relating to activities or events that happen during the day, as opposed to at night.
Example
Many birds are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day.
Conversation
Did you know that some plants are diurnal?
Really? I always thought they just bloomed whenever.
Yeah, they open during the day and close at night.
That’s so interesting! I wonder how they know when to do that.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
daily
daytime
circadian
Antonyms
nocturnal
nightly
irregular
noun
Definition
A book that includes the daily prayers for specific times, except for the morning prayer, or an old term for a daily newspaper or journal.
Example
She read the diurnal to keep track of the daily prayers.
Conversation
Have you ever seen a diurnal that was just beautiful?
No, I haven’t! What does it look like?
It's usually filled with lovely illustrations and daily reflections.
Root Explanation
Diurnal → It is formed from "diurnus" (meaning daily or of the day) and the suffix "-al" (meaning pertaining to). The word "diurnal" refers to something that is active or occurring during the day.
Memory Tip
Think of 'diurnus' meaning daily, which helps you remember that 'diurnal' refers to things that happen during the day.
Visually Confused Words
undiurnal
diuturnal
bidiurnal
urnal
dural
dunal
tridiurnal
terdiurnal