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

Back then, the district would hire teachers in the first semester and wait to see how students moved around before extending their contracts to a full year. —Carley Lanich, IndyStar, 10 Feb. 2026

The Arizona Republic is bringing back Student of the Week for the spring 2026 semester. —Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 10 Feb. 2026

Feng Shui Poetry in the Parks has grant funding through 2026’s spring semester, but next school year is still up in the air. —Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026

Through prayer, music and heartfelt recollections, hundreds gathered to remember Brown sophomore Ella Cook and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, who was completing his first semester at the Ivy League school. —Katie Mulvaney, The Providence Journal, 7 Feb. 2026

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