semester

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈme-stər 

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

sə-ˈme-strəl 

adjective

or semestrial

sə-ˈme-strē-əl 

Examples of semester in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With tuition around $400 a semester, the programs are among the most affordable in Miami-Dade, opening doors to steady jobs in fields where demand remains high and where artificial intelligence is unlikely to replace human hands. —Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025

Season three sees Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen (Jackson White) rekindle their tumultuous romance in time for the spring semester at Baird College. —Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025

Bowne said the regulation could be approved before the semester ends, allowing the faculty to start the nominations and elections process. —Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2025

Earlier this semester, Indiana University's Bloomington campus was likely the first university to sanction a professor under the new state law. —Cate Charron, IndyStar, 11 Nov. 2025

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

Phrases Containing semester

• semester hour

Rhymes for semester

• ancestor
• arrester
• digester
• investor
• protester
• requester
• sequester
• silvester
• trimester
• ester
• esther
• fester

Kids Definition

semester

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈmes-tər 

: either of two terms of about 18 weeks each that make up a school year