semester

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈme-stər How to pronounce semester (audio)
1
: either of the two usually 18-week periods of instruction into which an academic year is often divided
2
: a period of six months
semestral adjective
or semestrial

Examples of semester in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
One day during the 1971 fall semester, at precisely 4:20 p.m., the friends smoked a joint and headed out to the woods, looking for the stash. Greta Cross, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025 About 10,500 undergraduates are enrolled for the spring 2025 semester. Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2025 Alexia planned to attend Harvard Law School in the coming fall semester. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2025 Over a two-month period, users who spent 15 to 20 hours learning Spanish with Babbel covered an equivalent amount of a college semester's worth of Spanish language learning. New Atlas, 15 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for semester

Word History

Etymology

German, from Latin semestris half-yearly, from sex six + mensis month — more at six, moon

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of semester was in 1827

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Semester.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semester. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

semester

noun
se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈmes-tər How to pronounce semester (audio)
: either of two terms of about 18 weeks each that make up a school year

More from Merriam-Webster on semester

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