seminal

adjective

sem·​i·​nal ˈse-mə-nᵊl 

1

: of, relating to, or consisting of seed or semen

seminal discharge

2

: containing or contributing the seeds of later development : creative, original

a seminal book

seminally

ˈse-mə-nᵊl-ē 

adverb

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

Recent Examples on the Web

George Orwell's haunting vision of a totalitarian future is thoughtfully explored in this film adaptation of his seminal novel, in which humble worker Winston Smith (John Hurt) and his fellow citizens must deal with constant surveillance by the government, punishing all those who fall out of line. —Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2025

The best shot, but also maybe the best seminal moment for these Terps, who reached their highest national ranking since 2020. —Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 20 Mar. 2025

Since his death, Voletta Wallace oversaw his estate and worked at preserving her son’s legacy as one of the seminal figures of hip hop. —Ethan Millman, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2025

Having the opportunity to adapt his seminal work is a dream come true. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin seminalis, from semin-, semen seed — more at semen

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing seminal

• seminal duct
• seminal fluid
• seminal vesicle

Rhymes for seminal

• trigeminal

Medical Definition

seminal

adjective

sem·​i·​nal ˈsem-ən-ᵊl 

: of, relating to, or consisting of seed or semen

seminal discharge