seminary

sem·i·nary

noun \ˈse-mə-ˌner-ē\

plural sem·i·nar·ies

Definition of SEMINARY

1

: an environment in which something originates and from which it is propagated <a seminary of vice and crime>

2

a : an institution of secondary or higher education b : an institution for the training of candidates for the priesthood, ministry, or rabbinate

Examples of SEMINARY

1. <a seminary exclusively for women>
2. <some claimed that orphanages were seminaries of sin and petty crime, turning out juvenile delinquents by the score>

Origin of SEMINARY

Middle English, seedbed, nursery, from Latin seminarium, from semin-, semen seed

First Known Use: 1542

Related to SEMINARY

Synonyms: academe, academy, school

Related Words: boarding school, prep, preparatory school, prep school; common school, elementary school, grammar school, high school, junior high school, kindergarten, middle school, primary school, public school, secondary school, senior high school, trade school, training school; charter school, magnet school, minischool; madrassa (or madrasa also madrassah or madrasah), Sunday school, yeshiva (also yeshivah)

see all synonyms and antonyms

[+]more[-]hide

Rhymes with SEMINARY

actuary, adversary, airy-fairy, ancillary, antiquary, apiary, arbitrary, aviary, axillary, bacillary, beriberi, bestiary, biliary, black raspberry, Bloody Mary, boysenberry, breviary, budgetary, calamari, calamary, candleberry, Canterbury, capillary, carpellary, cassowary, catenary, cautionary, cavitary, cemetery, centenary, certiorari, checkerberry, chinaberry, cometary, commentary, commissary, condottiere, coralberry, corollary, coronary, culinary, customary, dictionary, dietary, dignitary, dromedary, dysentery, elderberry, emissary, estuary, farkleberry, February, formulary, fragmentary, fritillary, functionary, funerary, honorary, huckleberry, intermarry, janissary, January, lamasery, lapidary, lectionary, legendary, legionary, lingonberry, literary, loganberry, luminary, mammillary, mandatary, maxillary, medullary, mercenary, miliary, military, millenary, milliary, millinery, missionary, momentary, monastery, mortuary, necessary, ordinary, ossuary, partridgeberry, pensionary, pigmentary, planetary, Pondicherry, prebendary, presbytery, pulmonary, quaternary, red mulberry, reliquary, rowanberry, salivary, salmonberry, salutary, sanctuary, sanguinary, sanitary, secondary, secretary, sedentary, silverberry, solitary, sour cherry, stationary, stationery, statuary, subcontrary, sublunary, sugarberry, sumptuary, syllabary, temporary, tertiary, thimbleberry, Tipperary, Tom and Jerry, topiary, tributary, tutelary, Typhoid Mary, unitary, urinary, vestiary, Virgin Mary, visionary, voluntary, vulnerary, Waterbury, whortleberry, winterberry