seminary

American  

[sem-uh-ner-ee] / ˈsɛm əˌnɛr i /

noun

plural

seminaries

1. a special school providing education in theology, religious history, etc., primarily to prepare students for the priesthood, ministry, or rabbinate.

2. a school, especially one of higher grade.

3. a school of secondary or higher level for young women.

4. seminar.

5. a place of origin and propagation.

   a seminary of discontent.

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seminary British  

/ ˈsɛmɪnərɪ /

noun

1. an academy for the training of priests, rabbis, etc

2. another word for seminar

3. a place where something is grown

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Other Word Forms

• preseminary adjective
• seminarial adjective

Etymology

Origin of seminary

1400–50; late Middle English: seed plot, nursery < Latin sēminārium, equivalent to sēmin- (stem of sēmen ) seed, semen + -ārium -ary

Example Sentences

They staffed the unelected institutions of the state such as the supreme leader’s office, which grew rapidly in the late 1990s; they honed their knowledge in the more radical seminaries and their own universities.

From The Wall Street Journal

In 2022, a news outlet associated with the seminary in the holy city of Qom referred to him as an “ayatollah” for the first time, suggesting he had reached the rank of mujtahid.

From The Wall Street Journal

He studied in a seminary in Qom after his service with the Revolutionary Guard and wears the black turban of a sayyid, indicating that he traces his lineage to the prophet Muhammad.

From Los Angeles Times

The winner Talarico, who has a Master of Divinity degree from a Christian seminary, offered a more genteel approach.

From BBC

He began his religious instruction at 4 and continued his studies at the revered hawza, a network of illustrious seminaries.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• academy
• association
• business
• clinic
• company
• establishment
• foundation
• hospital
• institute
• school
• society
• system
• university