seasonal
B1Neutral to formal
Definition
Meaning
Relating to, characteristic of, or affected by a particular season of the year.
Occurring at or dependent on a particular season; periodic, temporary, or lasting only for a limited time (often in business, employment, or agriculture).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
While the primary sense is literal (connected to the four seasons), it is frequently used metaphorically in economics, tourism, and business to describe predictable fluctuations.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Equally neutral in both varieties.
Frequency
Similar, very common frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be ~become ~remain ~~ + noun (e.g., seasonal work)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to predictable fluctuations in sales, employment, or demand tied to time of year (e.g., 'seasonal hiring').
Academic
Used in economics (seasonal adjustment of data), climatology, and biology to describe cyclical phenomena.
Everyday
Most commonly used to describe weather, food, activities, or decorations associated with a particular time of year.
Technical
In statistics, refers to components of time series data; in agriculture, to crops harvested at specific times.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- This role is seasonal, so the contract ends in September.
- The café only seasonals its menu, offering pumpkin spiced lattes in autumn.
American English
- The resort hires seasonal workers for the summer.
- The farm seasonals its harvest, focusing on berries in June.
adverb
British English
- The shop operates seasonally, closing every January.
- Fruits are best eaten seasonally for peak flavour.
American English
- The park is open seasonally, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
- Demand for heaters rises seasonally in the fall.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The weather is seasonal. It is cold in winter.
- We buy seasonal fruit like strawberries in summer.
- Many hotels offer lower prices outside the seasonal peak.
- The town has a lovely seasonal market at Christmas.
- Retailers often make a seasonal adjustment to their sales forecasts.
- The artist's work reflects the seasonal light changes of the Nordic landscape.
- Economists stripped out the seasonal variation to reveal the underlying trend.
- The migratory patterns are dictated by highly complex seasonal cues.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: SEASONS + -AL. Something that is 'seasonal' is related to the SEASONS (like spring flowers or winter coats).
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A CYCLE (predictable, recurring pattern tied to natural cycles).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid over-translating as 'сезонный' in every context where Russian would use it (e.g., 'seasonal work' = 'сезонная работа', but 'seasonal colours' might be better as 'цвета сезона'). No false friend, but usage collocations differ.
- Do not confuse with 'timely' or 'opportune'. The word focuses on the seasonal cycle, not general appropriateness.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'seasonal' (relating to seasons) with 'seasonable' (suitable for the season, esp. weather).
- Incorrect: 'The snow was very seasonal for July.' (Use 'unseasonal' or 'unseasonable').
- Overusing as a synonym for 'temporary' without the cyclical connotation.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST likely meaning of 'seasonal'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While its core meaning relates to spring, summer, autumn, and winter, it is widely used for any predictable, recurring period (e.g., holiday season, rainy season).
'Seasonal' means 'of or relating to a season'. 'Seasonable' is less common and means 'suitable for the season' or 'occurring at the right time' (e.g., seasonable weather).
Yes, 'seasonal work' or 'seasonal employment' is very common, referring to jobs that are only available at certain times of the year (e.g., summer tourism, Christmas retail).
It is a statistical method to remove the predictable seasonal variations from economic data (like unemployment or sales) to better understand the underlying trend.