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 actress revealed that the school’s syllabus includes several non-fiction books, ranging from politics in Russia to those penned by early English authors. —Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025

Ukraine’s model of unit-level drone academies, standardized syllabi for FPV, ISR, and loitering units, and a pipeline of instructor cadres can be adapted to Taiwan’s reserve structure and mobilization pathways. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025

New York subscribers will also get a limited-time discount for a subscription to the Criterion Channel, where a number of the syllabus films are available to stream. —Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025

Administrations must review course materials, curricula, syllabi and other instructional documents to ensure compliance and make adjustments as needed. —Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025

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)