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

Pumped and sweaty, Jesse Ackerman trains in solitude during UF’s semester break, putting the team’s new weight room through its paces. —Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026

The cyberattack came days before or in some cases during final exams, as colleges began closing their spring semesters. —Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 8 May 2026

But if the online tool cannot be turned back on safely, school officials will work with deans, department heads, and instructors regarding alternate ways to end the semester, sharing more information before noon Sunday. —William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026

In his message, Mafi directed instructors to adjust their deadlines to account for the end-of-the-semester disruption. —Matthew Kelly may 8, Kansas City Star, 8 May 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