as in influential
very important especially in having a strong influence on things that come later
She authored several seminal papers that are frequently cited in later works because they laid the theoretical groundwork for future studies.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of seminal
Bill Clinton preferred new releases, screening seminal '90s movies like Schindler's List, Groundhog Day, and Titanic.
—
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
The Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris is celebrating the seminal design movement of the Roaring 1920s with a blockbuster exhibition that includes some 1,200 items ranging from lacquer screens to diamond brooches — and even a flying train.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
But the deal kicked off a seminal episode in his life.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025
Barbara Damrosch is the owner of Four Seasons Farm and the author of several seminal books on gardening.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for seminal
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
The Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris is celebrating the seminal design movement of the Roaring 1920s with a blockbuster exhibition that includes some 1,200 items ranging from lacquer screens to diamond brooches — and even a flying train.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
But the deal kicked off a seminal episode in his life.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025
Barbara Damrosch is the owner of Four Seasons Farm and the author of several seminal books on gardening.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for seminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seminal
Adjective
-
In comedy, few are as influential — and elusive — as Jim Downey.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
-
With the Mindstorms line being discontinued, the project also serves as a fitting tribute to one of the most influential educational tools of the past three decades.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Public approval of Congress is near historic lows, and polling shows that many voters believe professional politicians are self-interested and out of touch.—
Jeff Harden,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The designer and her team excel at highlighting and restoring the original detail of historic residences and adding a sense of patina to new homes.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Oceans 11 star said that being in such close proximity to major stars taught him an important lesson early in his career.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
For Arsenal, consistency of performances and results is so important to Arteta, with the 43-year-old often highlighting its significance in building them back to being one of Europe’s elite sides.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But having the goods to back up your inflammatory beliefs is hardly the point of Grokipedia, a platform simply meant to appear authoritative in its own right.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Brown, after an authoritative start to the fourth quarter, went quiet down the stretch, scoring just two points in the final five minutes and missing his last three shots.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As in 2025, the US played a critical role in this first occupation—but in a very different way.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
China has agreed to allow the export of chips critical to auto production, averting widespread shutdowns that had been predicted by the industry.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Oceans 11 star said that being in such close proximity to major stars taught him an important lesson early in his career.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Later, Owsley Brown II served as board president during major funding drives to build the theater's facilities.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As LimX Dynamics continues to enhance Oli’s repertoire, each new demonstration pushes the humanoid closer to human-like agility – leaving the robotics community anticipating what groundbreaking skill might come next.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The novel by Ellis was a groundbreaking and controversial work when it was published in 1991.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Seminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seminal. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share