syllabus
noun
an outline or other brief statement of the main points of a discourse, the subjects of a course of lectures, the contents of a curriculum, etc.
syllabus
American
[sil-uh-buhs]
/ ˈsɪl ə bəs /
noun
-
syllabuses,
plural
-
syllabi
plural
-
an outline or other brief statement of the main points of a discourse, the subjects of a course of lectures, the contents of a curriculum, etc.
-
Law.
-
a short summary of the legal basis of a court's decision appearing at the beginning of a reported case.
-
a book containing summaries of the leading cases in a legal field, used especially by students.
-
-
Also called Syllabus of Errors. (often initial capital letter) the list of 80 propositions condemned as erroneous by Pope Pius IX in 1864.
syllabus
1
British
/ ˈsɪləbəs /
noun
-
an outline of a course of studies, text, etc
-
-
the subjects studied for a particular course
-
a document which lists these subjects and states how the course will be assessed
-
Syllabus
2
British
/ ˈsɪləbəs /
noun
-
Also called: Syllabus of Errors. a list of 80 doctrinal theses condemned as erroneous by Pius IX in 1864
-
a list of 65 Modernist propositions condemned as erroneous by Pius X in 1907
Usage
Plural word for syllabus The plural form of syllabus can be either syllabuses or syllabi, pronounced [ sil-uh-bahy ], but syllabi is more widely used. The plurals of several other singular words ending in -us are also formed in this way, such as virus/viruses, sinus/sinuses, and walrus/walruses. Irregular plurals that are formed like syllabi, such as cactus/cacti and fungus/fungi, derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin. However, the standard English plural -es ending is often also acceptable for these terms, as in cactuses.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of syllabus
1650–60; < New Latin syllabus, syllabos, probably a misreading (in manuscripts of Cicero) of Greek síttybās, accusative plural of síttyba label for a papyrus roll
Explanation
A syllabus is a document that outlines everything that will be covered in a class. A syllabus for World Domination 101 might include: strategies for brainwashing the masses, creating an army on a budget, cultivating absolute certainty, and so on. The noun syllabus comes from the Late Latin word syllabus, meaning “list.” When you teach a class you may be required to make an outline of what you will expect the students to do in your class. That’s the syllabus. A syllabus could vaguely mention the topics that will be covered each week or it can be a detailed synopsis of every reading assignment, homework expectation, and exam question. Syllabus style is the teacher’s choice.
Vocabulary lists containing syllabus
Language Gone Wrong: Words That Started Out as Errors
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The Vocabulary of College
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Education and Academics, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The 16-person seminar will examine the “complexity and the inevitable conflict and contestation that result” from colleges’ multipronged missions, shaped by stakeholders with many needs and interests, the syllabus said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
According to the course syllabus, students examine questions such as: Who is responsible when a self-driving car injures someone or damages property?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
At universities, the ban has restricted access to online research and course materials, with one Herat student saying he had used his phone to help with about half the syllabus.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
But her thorough coursework and off-the-beaten-path syllabus of films opened my eyes to countless new ideas and perspectives.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
She pushes the button to collate the syllabus but forgets to push the button for staples.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Over the past few years, our team at the Open Syllabus Project has collected and analyzed more than six million syllabuses from university websites.
From New York Times ● Oct. 19, 2019
Melanie Martin, a postdoc at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, used the Syllabus Explorer to identify the most commonly taught texts in her field, evolutionary anthropology.
From Nature ● Oct. 30, 2016
And the diaries they kept, a few of which appear in Syllabus, remained idiosyncratic: “Felt weird again at Trader Joe’s. Attended what I did not realise was a cotillion.”
From The Guardian ● May 14, 2015
Syllabus for the class can be found here.
From Forbes ● Dec. 12, 2014
Gradually, this informal history grew into a course of study, constructed by the High Organ, which became known as Syllabus A, involving two years of lectures on the ANC and the liberation struggle.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
You tell Muse to check the syllabi for her classes and order all the books to her dorm room.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
Mr. Buck analyzed more than 400 readings from 75 course syllabi and categorized them as “traditional,” “progressive,” “therapeutic,” or “critical,” meaning critical race and other social justice theories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Students hesitate before volunteering their opinions in class, while faculty appear more cautious, even including disclaimers in their syllabi.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2025
Administrative representatives at the university’s main campus in Anza and a branch campus in Mill Valley, Calif., did not have documents readily available related to student and faculty rosters and class syllabi, officers said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2024
I was ready to taste the dining-hall food, memorize the campus map, and conquer whatever syllabi they wanted to throw my way.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Campus syllabuses have been pared down to accommodate this generational change.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The story won the Paris Review’s 2013 Plimpton Prize for Fiction and has appeared on syllabuses at other universities.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
After, the dream: bestselling author, Pulitzer Prize finalist, his book on syllabuses across the country, invited to speak at literary events worldwide.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
Discussion of new class schedules and syllabuses, and the excitement of students learning their friends were in the same course, filled the plaza between the Student Union Building and campus library Wednesday morning.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 11, 2023
Very careful syllabuses were prepared and widely circulated, and the whole scheme was intended to be educational rather than directly propagandist.
From The History of the Fabian Society by Edward R. Pease
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