syllabus

noun

syl·​la·​bus ˈsi-lə-bəs How to pronounce syllabus (audio)
plural syllabi ˈsi-lə-ˌbī How to pronounce syllabus (audio)
-ˌbē
 or syllabuses
Synonyms of syllabus
1
: a summary outline of a discourse, treatise, or course of study or of examination requirements
2
: headnote sense 2

Examples of syllabus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Her gift also includes 300 works from her personal art collection, amassed via a combination of trades, gifts, and purchases, as well as her teaching materials and syllabi from her three-decade tenure at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Slowly but steadily, Erwin Hymer Group has been writing the ultimate master-class syllabus for developing small RVs that pack in the space and features of larger, more luxurious vehicles. — New Atlas, 21 July 2026 That fall, the Civil Discourse professors did indeed teach from the same basic syllabus, but the most reading assigned to a student in any week was around one hundred twenty-seven pages, and the average was around seventy-five. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 The same habits shape syllabi, theatre histories, catalogues, footnotes—the professional instinct that makes one document serious and another merely interesting. — Literary Hub, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for syllabus

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, alteration of Latin sillybus label for a book, from Greek sillybos

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of syllabus was circa 1656

Browse Nearby Words

syllabub
syllabus
syllepsis
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Syllabus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/syllabus. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

syllabus

noun
syl·​la·​bus ˈsil-ə-bəs How to pronounce syllabus (audio)
plural syllabi -ˌbī How to pronounce syllabus (audio)
-ˌbē
 or syllabuses
: a brief outline (as of a course of study)

More from Merriam-Webster on syllabus

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for syllabus

Nglish: Translation of syllabus for Spanish Speakers

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