adj · noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/daɪˈɜːnəl/
Received-Pronunciation:dī-ûr′nəl
General-American:/daɪˈɝ.nəl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)nəl
CMU ARPABET:D AY0 ER1 N AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Happening or occurring during daylight, or primarily active during that time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
Most birds are diurnal.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Said of a flower that is open, or releasing its perfume during daylight hours, but not at night.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Having a daily cycle that is completed every 24 hours, usually referring to tasks, processes, tides, or sunrise to sunset; circadian.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Done once every day; daily, quotidian.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, uncommon
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Published daily.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A flower that opens only in the day.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A book containing canonical offices performed during the day, hence not matins.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: Catholicism, Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
A diary or journal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
A daily news publication.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
adjective
Meaning 10
of or belonging to or active during the day
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
diurnal animals are active during the day
diurnal flowers are open during the day and closed at night
diurnal and nocturnal offices
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: nocturnal
11
adjective satellite
Meaning 11
having a daily cycle or occurring every day
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
diurnal rotation of the heavens
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Latin diurnālis, from diēs (“day”). Doublet of journal.
Across languages
Translations
96 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
نَهَارِيّ
(nahāriyy)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Azerbaijani:
gündəlik
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Belarusian:
дзённы
(dzjónny)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Bulgarian:
дне́вен
(dnéven)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Catalan:
diürn
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Chinese Mandarin:
日間的 /日间的
(rìjiān de)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Czech:
denní
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Dutch:
dagactief
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Esperanto:
taga
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Finnish:
päivä-
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Finnish:
päiväaikainen
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Finnish:
päiväaktiivinen
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Finnish:
diurnaalinen
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
French:
diurne
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Galician:
diurno
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
German:
tagaktiv
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Greek:
ημερήσιος
(imerísios)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Ancient Greek:
ἡμερινός
(hēmerinós)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Hungarian:
nappali
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Icelandic:
dagdýr
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Irish:
laethúil
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Italian:
diurno
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Japanese:
昼間の
(hiruma no)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Japanese:
日中の
(nitchū no)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Kazakh:
күндізгі
(kündızgı)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Korean:
날의
(narui)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Korean:
하루의
(haruui)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Korean:
하루 동안의
(haru dong'anui)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Latin:
diurnus
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Macedonian:
дневен
(dneven)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Māori:
moepō
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Persian:
روزانه
(ruzâne)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Polish:
dzienny
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Portuguese:
diurno
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Russian:
дневно́й
(dnevnój)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Serbo-Croatian:
дне̑внӣ
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Serbo-Croatian:
dnȇvnī
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Slovak:
denný
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Slovene:
dneven
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Spanish:
diurno
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Swedish:
dags-
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Tajik:
рӯзона
(rüzona)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Turkish:
gündüzcül
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Turkish:
gündüz hareketli olan
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Ukrainian:
де́нний
(dénnyj)
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Uzbek:
kunduzgi
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Welsh:
dyddiol
— happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Catalan:
diürn
— botany; of flowers open or releasing perfume during the day
Finnish:
päiväksi kukkansa avaava
— botany; of flowers open or releasing perfume during the day
French:
diurne
— botany; of flowers open or releasing perfume during the day
German:
diurnal
— botany; of flowers open or releasing perfume during the day
Portuguese:
diurno
— botany; of flowers open or releasing perfume during the day
Ukrainian:
де́нний
(dénnyj)
— botany; of flowers open or releasing perfume during the day
Finnish:
päivittäinen
— having a daily cycle
Finnish:
vuorokautinen
— having a daily cycle
Finnish:
vuorokausi-
— having a daily cycle
French:
journalier
— having a daily cycle
German:
tagtäglich
— having a daily cycle
German:
jeden Tag
— having a daily cycle
Greek:
ημερήσιος
(imerísios)
— having a daily cycle
Persian:
روزانه
(ruzâne)
— having a daily cycle
Portuguese:
diário
— having a daily cycle
Slovak:
každodenný
— having a daily cycle
Slovene:
dneven
— having a daily cycle
Slovene:
cirkadiaden
— having a daily cycle
Ukrainian:
добови́й
(dobovýj)
— having a daily cycle
Belarusian:
штодзё́нны
(štodzjónny)
— done once every day
Bulgarian:
ежедне́вен
(ežednéven)
— done once every day
Bulgarian:
всекидне́вен
(vsekidnéven)
— done once every day
Czech:
denní
— done once every day
Dutch:
dagelijks
— done once every day
Finnish:
päivittäinen
— done once every day
Finnish:
jokapäiväinen
— done once every day
French:
journalier
— done once every day
French:
quotidien
— done once every day
West-Frisian:
deisk
— done once every day
West-Frisian:
deistich
— done once every day
German:
täglich
— done once every day
German:
einmal pro Tag
— done once every day
Greek:
ημερήσιος
(imerísios)
— done once every day
Hungarian:
napi
— done once every day
Persian:
روزی یک بار
(ruzi yek bâr)
— done once every day
Portuguese:
diário
— done once every day
Russian:
ежедне́вный
(ježednévnyj)
— done once every day
Slovak:
denný
— done once every day
Slovak:
každodenný
— done once every day
Slovene:
dneven
— done once every day
Turkish:
günlük
— done once every day
Turkish:
gün be gün
— done once every day
Ukrainian:
щоде́нний
(ščodénnyj)
— done once every day