seminal
adjective
sem·i·nal
ˈse-mə-nᵊl 
1
: of, relating to, or consisting of seed or semen
seminal discharge
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
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
The late filmmaker, best known for seminal titles like Moving (1993) and Typhoon Club (1985), is often cited as a contemporary pioneer in Japan by filmmakers like Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Ryusuke Hamaguchi but has remained largely unknown outside Japan.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025
Studios is bringing five seminal Jet Li martial arts classics to 4K resolution, marking a significant moment for fans of Hong Kong action cinema.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025
The reality was that neither Latina/os, nor Asian Americans, were ever as reliably Democratic as Black voters have been since Lyndon B. Johnson signed the seminal civil rights legislation of the 1960s.
—Jane Hong / Made By History, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
Martin compares its narrative to Batman: Year One, a seminal story about the Dark Knight's early life, while the Slayer's physique and screen presence were modeled after Batman in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for seminal 
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.
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025
Studios is bringing five seminal Jet Li martial arts classics to 4K resolution, marking a significant moment for fans of Hong Kong action cinema.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025
The reality was that neither Latina/os, nor Asian Americans, were ever as reliably Democratic as Black voters have been since Lyndon B. Johnson signed the seminal civil rights legislation of the 1960s.
—Jane Hong / Made By History, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
Martin compares its narrative to Batman: Year One, a seminal story about the Dark Knight's early life, while the Slayer's physique and screen presence were modeled after Batman in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for seminal
Dictionary Entries Near seminal
Cite this Entry
“Seminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seminal. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
seminal
adjective
sem·i·nal
ˈsem-ən-ᵊl
: of, relating to, or consisting of seed or semen
seminal discharge
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share