semester

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈme-stər How to pronounce semester (audio)
1
: either of the two usually 18-week periods of instruction into which an academic year is often divided
2
: a period of six months
semestral adjective
or semestrial

Examples of semester in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Los Angeles campus became a hotbed of protest and counterprotest activity throughout much of the spring semester. Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 24 Oct. 2024 Abby, Adam has never held a job, and manages only one junior college class a semester in his quest to enter a four-year university. Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024 The identification card must include a photo and the voter must also provide a fee statement from the current semester. Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2024 But the psychologist hadn’t even finished his final semester at the elite liberal-arts school when a chance conversation at an academic conference led to a new teaching role at UC Berkeley. Christina Binkley, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for semester 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'semester.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

German, from Latin semestris half-yearly, from sex six + mensis month — more at six, moon

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of semester was in 1827

Dictionary Entries Near semester

Cite this Entry

“Semester.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semester. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

semester

noun
se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈmes-tər How to pronounce semester (audio)
: either of two terms of about 18 weeks each that make up a school year

More from Merriam-Webster on semester

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