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
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As a result, in 2016, a number of students secretly started jotting down Fasano’s wisest reflections and surprised him with a notebook filled with them at the end of the semester. Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026 To be officially designated by the state, a community college’s associate degree curriculum must include a minimum of 60 semester units of relevant coursework and at least 150 hours of supervised field experience. Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026 One, a professor, most recently taught courses at the school in the Winter 2026 semester. Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026 In 2018, 2,216 students were enrolled at the university for the fall semester. CBS News, 14 May 2026 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 21 May. 2026.

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

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