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.
In a typical college Shakespeare course, for instance, the class might zip through as many as nine plays in a semester. Brooke Allen, New Yorker, 12 July 2025 The same semester, Damsky took an originalism seminar, led by U.S. District Judge John Badalamenti, who had been appointed to the bench by President Donald Trump in June 2020. Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 4 July 2025 The bill would change that to 15 credits a semester, which the National College Attainment Network estimated would result in a nearly $1,500 cut in benefits for students who can't increase their course load because of work or caretaking responsibilities. Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 3 July 2025 That's where a Career and Technical Education aviation class takes place using simulators, one of 193 CTE classes the district has with about 6,000 students enrolled per semester. Laura L. Davis, The Tennessean, 2 July 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

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Cite this Entry

“Semester.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semester. Accessed 16 Jul. 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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