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
As the visionary founder and former president of ABC, Goldenson played a seminal role in shaping the world of television and media.
—Meredith Ogilvie-Thompson, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
Rolle and Amos originated their characters on Maude, a spinoff of Lear’s seminal comedy All in the Family.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
His not-guilty verdict—announced on October 3, 1995, another seminal date in 1990s history—was cheered by many Black Americans, and derided by white ones.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
Attendees can enjoy art, dance the night away, and witness performances from the seminal artists of the time, along with legendary musicians building upon their legacy.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 9 Apr. 2024
Even Cox, who has established seminal case law in California on behalf of parents and families, questioned Santa Clara County’s deference to parents’ rights.
—Scooty Nickerson, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024
That year, Hattie McDaniel became the first Black person to win an Academy Award, for Gone With the Wind; Richard Wright published his seminal novel Native Son; and musicians like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald performed throughout the country.
—Shantay Robinson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024
For example, take depression: While the rise of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the 1980s and 1990s seemed to provide a solution, seminal studies in the 2000s exposed fundamental limitations of our treatment options.
—Amit Etkin, STAT, 8 Mar. 2024
While playing college football as a defensive lineman, Big E became a fan of Wale and his seminal 2008 project, The Mixtape About Nothing.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
Meredith Ogilvie-Thompson, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
Rolle and Amos originated their characters on Maude, a spinoff of Lear’s seminal comedy All in the Family.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
His not-guilty verdict—announced on October 3, 1995, another seminal date in 1990s history—was cheered by many Black Americans, and derided by white ones.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
Attendees can enjoy art, dance the night away, and witness performances from the seminal artists of the time, along with legendary musicians building upon their legacy.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 9 Apr. 2024
Even Cox, who has established seminal case law in California on behalf of parents and families, questioned Santa Clara County’s deference to parents’ rights.
—Scooty Nickerson, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024
That year, Hattie McDaniel became the first Black person to win an Academy Award, for Gone With the Wind; Richard Wright published his seminal novel Native Son; and musicians like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald performed throughout the country.
—Shantay Robinson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024
For example, take depression: While the rise of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the 1980s and 1990s seemed to provide a solution, seminal studies in the 2000s exposed fundamental limitations of our treatment options.
—Amit Etkin, STAT, 8 Mar. 2024
While playing college football as a defensive lineman, Big E became a fan of Wale and his seminal 2008 project, The Mixtape About Nothing.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seminal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near seminal
Cite this Entry
“Seminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seminal. Accessed 23 Apr. 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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