seminal
adjective
sem·i·nal
ˈse-mə-nᵊl 
1
: of, relating to, or consisting of seed or semen
seminal discharge
Examples of seminal in a Sentence
Kandel was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine in 2000 for his seminal observation that it was in the action of the synapses between cells that memory existed, not in the cells themselves, and that a molecule called cyclic AMP was what allowed cells to retain memory over the long term.
—
Michael Greenberg, New York Review of Books, 4 Dec. 2008
Writer Susan Sontag died December 28 at age 71 after a long battle with cancer. She left behind an impressive body of fiction and criticism, including her seminal 1960s essays "Notes on Camp" and "Against Interpretation."
—Allan Gurganus, Advocate, 1 Feb. 2005
I wonder if the curators who organized "Matisse Picasso" ever asked themselves why it was that Alfred H. Barr Jr., the first director of the Museum of Modern Art and the guiding spirit behind the museum's seminal exhibitions of both Picasso and Matisse, never mounted a show like the one that has now arrived at MoMA QNS. Such an exhibition might seem to be logical, almost inevitable for the Museum of Modern Art.
—Jed Perl, New Republic, 3 Mar. 2003
Michael Greenberg, New York Review of Books, 4 Dec. 2008
Writer Susan Sontag died December 28 at age 71 after a long battle with cancer. She left behind an impressive body of fiction and criticism, including her seminal 1960s essays "Notes on Camp" and "Against Interpretation."
—Allan Gurganus, Advocate, 1 Feb. 2005
I wonder if the curators who organized "Matisse Picasso" ever asked themselves why it was that Alfred H. Barr Jr., the first director of the Museum of Modern Art and the guiding spirit behind the museum's seminal exhibitions of both Picasso and Matisse, never mounted a show like the one that has now arrived at MoMA QNS. Such an exhibition might seem to be logical, almost inevitable for the Museum of Modern Art.
—Jed Perl, New Republic, 3 Mar. 2003
Recent Examples on the Web
Another seminal piece of cinema getting a 4K Ultra HD physical media release for the first time ever this year, Aliens: Ultimate Collector's Edition contains both the theatrical version and special edition of the movie that sees Sigourney Weaver reprise her role as Ripley.
—Simon Thompson, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
The trio took that basic plot and turned it into Airplane!, their seminal 1980 disaster comedy, which marked the first comedic role for Leslie Nielsen.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2024
The award, of course, takes its name and inspiration from the seminal British filmmaker Derek Jarman.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2024
This was a seminal win for third-year Oklahoma coach Brent Venables, whose midseason switch to Joe Jon Finley as offensive coordinator paid off.
—Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for seminal 
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Simon Thompson, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
The trio took that basic plot and turned it into Airplane!, their seminal 1980 disaster comedy, which marked the first comedic role for Leslie Nielsen.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2024
The award, of course, takes its name and inspiration from the seminal British filmmaker Derek Jarman.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2024
This was a seminal win for third-year Oklahoma coach Brent Venables, whose midseason switch to Joe Jon Finley as offensive coordinator paid off.
—Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for seminal
Dictionary Entries Near seminal
Cite this Entry
“Seminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seminal. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
seminal
adjective
sem·i·nal
ˈsem-ən-ᵊl
: of, relating to, or consisting of seed or semen
seminal discharge
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