semester

1 of 2

noun

se·mes·ter sə-ˈme-stər

: either of the two usually 18-week periods of instruction into which an academic year is often divided

: a period of six months

semestral

sə-ˈme-strəl

adjective

or semestrial

sə-ˈme-strē-əl

semestral

2 of 2

adjective

se·mes·tral -strəl

variants or semestrial

-ˌtrēəl

: occurring every six months or within a period of six months : of or relating to a six-month period

Examples of semester in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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Noun

The convergence is helping make Japan an increasingly attractive option for Americans pursuing not just a semester abroad, but an entire undergraduate degree. — Anna Esaki-Smith, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 At the end of the first semester, a dean called Gajdusek and told him that Ivan could not continue. — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Saturday, two days before the fall semester was scheduled to start. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 16 Aug. 2026 The shooting occurred on the same day that resident halls opened to returning students Friday for the school's fall 2026 semester, according to the school's calendar. — Robert McGreevy , James Cirrone , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for semester

Word History

Etymology

Noun

German, from Latin semestris half-yearly, from sex six + mensis month — more at six, moon

Adjective

Latin semestris half-yearly + English -al or -ial

First Known Use

Noun

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

Style

“Semester.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semester. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

semester

noun

se·mes·ter sə-ˈmes-tər

: either of two terms of about 18 weeks each that make up a school year

semester

noun

adjective

Examples of semester in a Sentence

Word History

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semester

noun

adjective

Examples of semester in a Sentence

Word History

Phrases Containing semester

Rhymes for semester

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on semester

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