seminar

noun

sem·​i·​nar ˈse-mə-ˌnär 

1

: a group of advanced students studying under a professor with each doing original research and all exchanging results through reports and discussions

2

a(1)

: a course of study pursued by a seminar

(2)

: an advanced or graduate course often featuring informality and discussion

b

: a scheduled meeting of a seminar or a room for such meetings

3

: a meeting for giving and discussing information

Synonyms of seminar

• symposium
• conference
• panel

Examples of seminar in a Sentence

a seminar on career planning

a seminar bringing together the world's leading epidemiologists

Recent Examples on the Web

Trader Sam’s this spring is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and starting May 25 the bar will be hosting a number of mixology seminars through July 20. —Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026

The room was narrow and had only one window, and the seminar table was actually four small tables of different heights, which, shoved together, rocked back and forth like shifting tectonic plates. —Literary Hub, 11 May 2026

Founded in 1998 by Keith Raniere, Nxivm was known for its Executive Success Programs (or ESP), an executive coaching seminar that was taken by as many as 16,000 people over two decades. —Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026

Hug and Maniaci are students in the opinion writing seminar at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. —Sonia Huq, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

German, from Latin seminarium nursery

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for seminar

• abattoir
• alcazar
• autocar
• avatar
• belshazzar
• caviar
• caviare
• cinnabar
• commissar
• condylar
• deodar
• handlebar

Kids Definition

seminar

noun

sem·​i·​nar ˈsem-ə-ˌnär 

1

: a course of study followed by a group of advanced students

2

: a meeting of a seminar or a room for such meetings

3

: a meeting for giving and discussing information

a sales seminar