syllabus

noun

syl·​la·​bus ˈsi-lə-bəs 

plural syllabi ˈsi-lə-ˌbī 

-ˌbē

or syllabuses

1

: a summary outline of a discourse, treatise, or course of study or of examination requirements

2

: headnote sense 2

Examples of syllabus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The same habits shape syllabi, theatre histories, catalogues, footnotes—the professional instinct that makes one document serious and another merely interesting. — Literary Hub, 26 June 2026

The Multi-App Workflows Google Promised Aren't Here This latest Android 17 rollout doesn't include some of the deep, cross-app agentic workflows Google teased, like quickly summarizing a syllabus in Gmail or saving your spot in line for a workout class. — Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 18 June 2026

Monuments, syllabi, grant priorities—these are not sacred relics but civic choices. — The Atlantic, 16 June 2026

Professors are censoring themselves in lectures and rewriting syllabuses. — Bruce Schneier, The Conversation, 27 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, alteration of Latin sillybus label for a book, from Greek sillybos

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

syllabus

noun

syl·​la·​bus ˈsil-ə-bəs 

plural syllabi -ˌbī 

-ˌbē

or syllabuses

: a brief outline (as of a course of study)