seminarian

noun

sem·​i·​nar·​i·​an ˌse-mə-ˈner-ē-ən How to pronounce seminarian (audio)
: a student in a seminary especially of the Roman Catholic Church

Examples of seminarian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After the editorial appeared, on January 7, 1978, seminarians incensed by the slander of Khomeini staged large demonstrations in Qom. Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025 In 1968, the Augustinians opened the college to lay students from the community, offering them a liberal arts education while continuing religious education for the seminarians. Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2025 Stockman, a former seminarian and congressman from Michigan, quickly assembled an executive budget blueprint that upended generations of assumptions about the federal government's role. Ron Elving, NPR, 17 May 2025 The number of new seminarians at Pontifical College has grown from 17, two-and-a-half years ago, to 40 this year. Elaine Quijano, CBS News, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for seminarian

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of seminarian was in 1794

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Seminarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seminarian. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

seminarian

noun
sem·​i·​nar·​i·​an ˌsem-ə-ˈner-ē-ən How to pronounce seminarian (audio)
: a student in a seminary
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!