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

Another fraternity at the University of Kansas has been placed under investigation following a report that members engaged in hazing and other harmful behavior this semester. —Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 4 Dec. 2025

Blassingame, Bates and Moore and the three skill-positon players joining the U for spring semester in January. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 3 Dec. 2025

Look at the numbers Full-time students can pay anywhere from about US$4,000 for in-state tuition at a public state school per semester to just shy of $50,000 per semester at a private college or university. —Shannon Pickett, The Conversation, 2 Dec. 2025

Fewer new students from abroad also enrolled for the fall 2024 semester, notching the first decline since 2020-2021, during the Covid pandemic, according to the Open Doors data. —Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 30 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