diurnal

D2I1U1R1N1A1L1
UK/daɪˈɜːnəl/US/daɪˈɝ.nəl/

adjective

Happening or occurring during daylight, or primarily active during that time.

“Most birds are diurnal.”

Similar
circadiandailydaytimeperiodicperiodical
Opposite
nocturnalnightlynondiurnal
OriginLatin diurnālis →
Less commonScrabble 8
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Word of the Day · Mar 28, 2026

Meanings

adjectivediurnal (not comparable)
  1. not comparableHappening or occurring during daylight, or primarily active during that time.

    Most birds are diurnal.

    2 more examples

    However, in general, lizards are more diurnal than rattlers, which may be one of the reasons why young rattlers are more diurnal than adults.

    1972, Laurence Monroe Klauber, Rattlesnakes: Their Habits, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind, Volume 1

    Ere twice the horses of the sun shall bring / Their fiery torcher his diurnal ring.

    c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v]
  2. not comparablebiologySaid of a flower that is open, or releasing its perfume during daylight hours, but not at night.
  3. not comparableHaving a daily cycle that is completed every 24 hours, usually referring to tasks, processes, tides, or sunrise to sunset; circadian.

    Synonyms: circadian

  4. not comparableuncommonDone once every day; daily, quotidian.
  5. archaicnot comparablePublished daily.
noundiurnal (plural diurnals)

plural diurnals

  1. A flower that opens only in the day.
  2. CatholicismA book containing canonical offices performed during the day, hence not matins.
  3. archaicA diary or journal.

    He was by birth, some authors write, / A Russian, some a Muscovite, / And 'mong the Cossacks had been bred, / Of whom we in diurnals read.

    1663, Samuel Butler, Hudibras, part 1, canto 2
  4. archaicA daily news publication.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveHaving a daily cycle that is completed every 24 hours, usually referring to tasks, processes, tides, or sunrise to sunset; circadian.

Similar
circadian
Similar
dailydaytime

antonym(s) of “happening or active during the day”

Opposite
nocturnalnightly
Opposite
nondiurnal

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveof or belonging to or active during the day

Opposite
nocturnal

adjectivehaving a daily cycle or occurring every day

Similar
periodicperiodical
Also see
circadiandailyeverydayperiodicperiodicalquotidian

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latindiurnālis
  2. Englishdiurnal

From Latin diurnālis, from diēs (“day”). Doublet of journal.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἡμερινός
  • ἡμερινός (hēmerinós)happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Arabic نَهَارِيّ
  • نَهَارِيّ (nahāriyy)happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Bulgarian дне́вен, ежедне́вен
  • дне́вен (dnéven)happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • ежедне́вен (ežednéven)done once every day
  • всекидне́вен (vsekidnéven)done once every day
Catalan diürn, diürn
  • diürnhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • diürnbotany; of flowers open or releasing perfume during the day
  • diürnalbook of canonical offices
Chinese Mandarin 日間的 /日间的
  • 日間的 /日间的 (rìjiān de)happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Czech denní, denní
  • denníhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • dennídone once every day
Dutch dagactief, dagelijks
  • dagactiefhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • dagelijksdone once every day
Esperanto taga
  • tagahappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Finnish päivä-, päiväaikainen
  • päivä-happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • päiväaikainenhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • päiväaktiivinenhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • diurnaalinenhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • päiväksi kukkansa avaavabotany; of flowers open or releasing perfume during the day
  • päivittäinenhaving a daily cycle
  • vuorokautinenhaving a daily cycle
  • vuorokausi-having a daily cycle
  • päivittäinendone once every day
  • jokapäiväinendone once every day
French diurne, diurne
  • diurnehappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • diurnebotany; of flowers open or releasing perfume during the day
  • journalierhaving a daily cycle
  • journalierdone once every day
  • quotidiendone once every day
German tagaktiv, diurnal
  • tagaktivhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • diurnalbotany; of flowers open or releasing perfume during the day
  • tagtäglichhaving a daily cycle
  • jeden Taghaving a daily cycle
  • täglichdone once every day
  • einmal pro Tagdone once every day
Greek ημερήσιος, ημερήσιος
  • ημερήσιος (imerísios)happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • ημερήσιος (imerísios)having a daily cycle
  • ημερήσιος (imerísios)done once every day
Hungarian nappali, napi
  • nappalihappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • napidone once every day
  • diurnálébook of canonical offices
Icelandic dagdýr
  • dagdýrhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Irish laethúil
  • laethúilhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Italian diurno, diurno
  • diurnohappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • diurnobook of canonical offices
  • diurnalebook of canonical offices
Japanese 昼間の, 日中の
  • 昼間の (hiruma no)happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • 日中の (nitchū no)happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Korean 날의, 하루의
  • 날의 (narui)happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • 하루의 (haruui)happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • 하루 동안의 (haru dong'anui)happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Latin diurnus
  • diurnushappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Māori moepō
  • moepōhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Persian روزانه, روزانه
  • روزانه (ruzâne)happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • روزانه (ruzâne)having a daily cycle
  • روزی یک بار (ruzi yek bâr)done once every day
Polish dzienny
  • dziennyhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Portuguese diurno, diurno
  • diurnohappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • diurnobotany; of flowers open or releasing perfume during the day
  • diáriohaving a daily cycle
  • diáriodone once every day
  • diurnobook of canonical offices
Russian дневно́й, ежедне́вный
  • дневно́й (dnevnój)happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • ежедне́вный (ježednévnyj)done once every day
Slovak denný, každodenný
  • dennýhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • každodennýhaving a daily cycle
  • dennýdone once every day
  • každodennýdone once every day
Spanish diurno
  • diurnohappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Swedish dags-
  • dags-happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
Turkish gündüzcül, gündüz hareketli olan
  • gündüzcülhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • gündüz hareketli olanhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • günlükdone once every day
  • gün be gündone once every day
Ukrainian де́нний, де́нний
  • де́нний (dénnyj)happening during daylight; primarily active during the day
  • де́нний (dénnyj)botany; of flowers open or releasing perfume during the day
  • добови́й (dobovýj)having a daily cycle
  • щоде́нний (ščodénnyj)done once every day
Welsh dyddiol
  • dyddiolhappening during daylight; primarily active during the day

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with diurnal

journalinternalexternalkerneleternalcolonelmaternalnocturnalfraternalinfernalpaternalvernalternalsternalsupernalanteroexternalanterointernalantesternalasternalchondrosternalcoeternalcoracosternalcostosternalcoxosternal
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

diurnal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diurnal

MLA

“diurnal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diurnal. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “diurnal,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diurnal.

Source: diurnal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.