semiconductor

noun

semi·​con·​duc·​tor ˌse-mē-kən-ˈdək-tər 

ˌse-ˌmī-,

-mi-

: any of a class of solids (such as germanium or silicon) whose electrical conductivity is between that of a conductor and that of an insulator in being nearly as great as that of a metal at high temperatures and nearly absent at low temperatures

Did you know?

A semiconductor is a crystal material whose ability to conduct electricity rises as its temperature goes up. That is, it sometimes acts as a conductor and sometimes as an insulator. Its conducting ability can be much increased by chemical treatment. A manufactured chip of silicon, less than half an inch square, may contain millions of microscopic transistors, which can serve control and memory functions when installed in a computer, automobile, cell phone, DVD player, or microwave oven.

Examples of semiconductor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sectors that ought to remain resilient include industrials, driven by artificial intelligence tailwinds, as well as semiconductors. —Brian Evans, CNBC, 23 Aug. 2025

The United States has agreed to limit tariffs on pharmaceuticals, lumber and semiconductors imported from the European Union to 15%, according to an agreement released Thursday. —Steve Kopack, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2025

The latter is the big issue: Virtually all computing devices assembled in the U.S. rely heavily on overseas components, especially semiconductors, hard drives, monitors, keyboards and power supplies. —Vadim Vladimirskiy, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025

Former President Joe Biden's Chips and Science Act, signed into law in 2022, included $39 billion in subsidies to boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. —Joey Garrison, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for semiconductor

• superconductor
• abductor
• conductor
• constructor
• destructor
• inductor
• instructor

Kids Definition

semiconductor

noun

semi·​con·​duc·​tor ˌsem-i-kən-ˈdək-tər 

ˌsem-ˌī-

: any of a class of solids (as germanium) that have an ability to conduct electricity between that of a conductor and that of an insulator

semiconducting

-tiŋ

adjective

Medical Definition

semiconductor

noun

semi·​con·​duc·​tor -kən-ˈdək-tər 

: any of a class of solids (as germanium or silicon) whose electrical conductivity is between that of a conductor and that of an insulator in being nearly as great as that of a metal at high temperatures and nearly absent at low temperatures