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

Participants don’t get their scholarship money until passing their first semester back with C’s or better. —ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026

This time along with Rossen Ventzislavov, an educator who brought me out to Woodbury University last spring as a fellow to teach a one-of-a-kind semester on Black modernism in architecture, design and popular culture. —Jerald “coop” Cooper, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026

Strahan's daughter Isabella was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, in October 2023 during her first semester of college. —Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026

In its last semester, the campus appeared surprisingly upbeat. —Jon Marcus, NPR, 13 Apr. 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