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.
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Recent Examples of seminal
That must have felt like a surreal, full-circle moment to be coming back to this seminal character in your career while returning to a place that had meaning in real life.
—
Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Now, it’s finally being offered to a new private collector, alongside an original Sony PlayStation, a copy of seminal PS1 driving game TOCA: Touring Car Championship, and an old Philips flatscreen TV on a stand.
—Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
In what will prove to be an iconic fusion of hip-hop and classical music, Nas will join forces with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for a one-night-only performance of his seminal debut album Illmatic.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 8 Apr. 2025
Forty years after Woodstock, co-creator Michael Lang and author Holly George-Warren wrote the seminal text for the festival.
—Meg Zukin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for seminal
Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Now, it’s finally being offered to a new private collector, alongside an original Sony PlayStation, a copy of seminal PS1 driving game TOCA: Touring Car Championship, and an old Philips flatscreen TV on a stand.
—Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
In what will prove to be an iconic fusion of hip-hop and classical music, Nas will join forces with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for a one-night-only performance of his seminal debut album Illmatic.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 8 Apr. 2025
Forty years after Woodstock, co-creator Michael Lang and author Holly George-Warren wrote the seminal text for the festival.
—Meg Zukin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for seminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seminal
Adjective
-
Anthony Milewski is the founder of The Oregon Group and an influential figure in the mining, metals and energy industries.—
Anthony Milewski,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Since founding The Potter’s House in 1996 with just 50 families, Bishop Jakes has grown it into one of the most influential churches in the country.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The historic anniversary commemorates the first act of the country's reunification on April 30, 1975 when Communist-run North Vietnam seized Saigon, the capital of the U.S.-backed South, renamed Ho Chi Minh City shortly after the war in honor of the North's founding leader.—
Minh Nguyen and Francesco Guarascio,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
The historic Abraham Accords, brokered by President Trump in 2020, opened the door to groundbreaking economic innovation and security cooperation between the U.S. and its Israeli and Arab Middle Eastern allies.—
Robert Greenway,
National Review,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Three Key Lessons: Pareek’s Insights into Innovation Over the course of his career, Pareek has learned many important lessons.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
-
In the end, the team found an old pizza parlor which doubled up as a gas station, an important location in a show where the protagonists are constantly encountering new people on their journey.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In this authoritative, elegant biography, Daut meticulously combs the torrents of contemporary letters and broadsheets to draw a complex, contradictory portrait of Christophe, also known as King Henry.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
-
The distant therapist Not too long ago, therapists acted like black boxes and authoritative gods.—
David E. Tolchinsky,
The Conversation,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Enough jaw-dropping critical injuries are sustained by characters in The Raid to overcrowd the Pitt.—
Andy Crump,
Time,
26 Apr. 2025
-
The order, which Trump signed in private, seeks to jumpstart the mining of both U.S. and international waters as part of a push to offset China's sweeping control of the critical minerals industry.—
Ernest Scheyder and Jarrett Renshaw,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Prior to release, a leaker hacked into the systems of the developers at Naughty Dog and spoiled major plot points from the story months in advance, which fueled a barrage of toxic responses, including death threats, against the creators.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) has a major advantage here: Google is guilty.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Many within the wrestling community and her devoted fanbase argue that her achievements, including her groundbreaking reigns as both the Women's and Intercontinental Champion, warrant a separate and distinct honor.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Apr. 2025
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Pharaoh's tomb discovered by archaeologists in Egypt Dr. Josef Wegner, Penn Museum curator who is based in Philadelphia, recently uncovered a groundbreaking discovery: an unknown pharaoh's tomb, dating back 3,600 years.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Seminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seminal. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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