SEMINAL Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

seminal

adjective

Definition of seminal

as in influential

very important especially in having a strong influence on things that come later She authored several seminal papers that are frequently cited in later works because they laid the theoretical groundwork for future studies.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of seminal With tomatoes, one of our most seminal ingredients, coming into season, the authors have helpfully shared one of the recipes from the book. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026 Over a month before a second potentially seminal social media trial is set to start in California, YouTube has reached a deal to get out of having to show up in court. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 23 June 2026 And his adaptation of the seminal gamer novel Ready Player One grossed a healthy $583 million worldwide. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 22 June 2026 For Doom, Prince took inspiration from a pile of CDs loaned by the game’s chief designer, John Romero, including seminal works by Alice in Chains, Pantera and Metallica. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for seminal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for seminal

Adjective

Marie Antoinette was bold, beautiful, irreverent and hugely influential, and to revisit it now through Eleanor Coppola’s eyes, as both a filmmaker and a mother, is incredibly moving.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 8 July 2026
Project 2029 — a nod to Project 2025, the influential policy manual from the conservative Heritage Foundation — seeks to influence Democrats’ platforms.

— Simone Foxman, Fortune, 8 July 2026

Definition of influential

Adjective

And in one section, 1,200 cc engines are being assembled for the company’s new superpremium motorbike, the Norton Manx R, one of four new models from the historic British brand now owned by TVS Motor and set to go on sale later this year.

— Anu Raghunathan, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
New York — The stocks that have fueled Wall Street’s powerful AI rally are suddenly under pressure as investors evaluate rising tensions in the Middle East, take profits after a historic run and reassess where to find value.

— John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 July 2026

Definition of historic

Adjective

One interesting trend is that this tournament will feature some very good tight ends, a position that has become increasingly important in college football and the NFL but not so much in high school football in the era of spread offenses.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
As technology becomes more sophisticated and the number of living survivors continues to decline, preserving authentic testimony becomes even more important.

— Eva Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026

Definition of important

Adjective

By separating address grouping, attribution, and operator, the proposal addresses a weakness that has long existed in blockchain analytics; confidence can be mistaken for proof especially given the lack of authoritative auditing standards.

— Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Your 10th House of Career and Status gets a quiet lift from the Moon, which trines authoritative Saturn in your 2nd House of Finances.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2026

Definition of authoritative

Adjective

Infrastructure In infrastructure, the analysts said investors should look at companies that own critical networks such as grids, pipelines, fiber networks and transport assets that are difficult to replicate.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 8 July 2026
Women comprise 35% of US STEM employees, yet retention, not attraction, is the primary challenge, with women leaving at higher rates and companies losing critical knowledge.

— Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of critical

Adjective

Maybe Bill Plaschke would be aware of that, and give due credit, if his hometown major newspaper bothered to have a dedicated correspondent covering one of the city’s NBA teams.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Some of these storms could be severe and deliver damaging wind gusts, but any thunderstorm will contain lightning — a major danger for any outdoor activities, especially for anyone trying to escape the heat in or on the water.

— Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 4 July 2026

Definition of major

Adjective

Filmed in Technicolor, its visual effects were truly groundbreaking, as the movie imagined alien terrors that, before then, had only been possible on the page or on radio.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 4 July 2026
What's a groundbreaking Father's Day gift to give to your dad?

— Jamie Fischer, Parents, 20 June 2026

Definition of groundbreaking

Browse Nearby Words

semimonthly

seminal

seminar

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Seminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seminal. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of seminal

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on seminal

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

xeric

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes