季節|きせつkisetsu[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. no-adjectiveseason; time of year
   この季節きせつは卵たまごが安やすい。↗

   Eggs are cheap this season.

• SynonymシーズンNeutralNeutral loanword. Can mean a season of the year, but also a period when something is at its busiest, as in 「受験シーズン」, plus sports seasons and seasons of a TV series.
• Synonym時季じきWrittenWritten/formal prose. Means season or time of year, as in 「時季外れ」, with emphasis on when something is in season. In everyday speech 「季節」 is the usual choice.
• SynonymセゾンWrittenWritten/formal prose. A French loanword for season, found mostly in product and store names; rare in daily use, where 「季節」 is the general word.
• Synonym時節じせつWrittenWritten/formal prose. Covers the season but also the times and the right moment, as in 「時節柄」, so its range is broader than 「季節」.
• Related時期じきNeutralNeutral. Means a stretch of time, as in 「時期が早い」, and is not limited to the four seasons; it also covers the right time for doing something.
• Related季きWrittenWritten/formal prose. Means season but mostly appears in compounds like 「季語」「四季」; standing alone it is haiku usage. In everyday speech say 「季節」.
• Related候こうWrittenWritten/formal prose. Refers to the season or climate, as in 「秋冷の候」, and appears mostly in the opening greetings of letters; not used on its own in daily speech.

Default to 「季節」 for season. Use 「シーズン」 for a busy period or a sports/TV season, 「候」 for seasonal greetings in letters, 「時期」 for a stretch of time, and 「時節」 for the times or the right moment.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 毎年まいとし規則的きそくてきに推移すいいする気温きおんの高低こうていや天候てんこうなど気象きしょう条件じょうけん、天体てんたいの運行うんこうや昼夜ちゅうやの長短ちょうたん、動植物どうしょくぶつの生長せいちょうなどに応おうじて一いち年ねんを分わけた単位たんい。
2. 日本にっぽんなどにおいて、四季しきそれぞれのこと。四季しき折々おりおり。
3. 一いち年ねんの内うち、何なんか特定とくていな事ことが起おこる時期じき。シーズン。「桜さくらの季節きせつ」「鍋なべの季節きせつ」