semester

American  

[si-mes-ter] / sɪˈmɛs tər /

noun

1. (in many educational institutions) a division constituting half of the regular academic year, lasting typically from 15 to 18 weeks.

2. (in German universities) a session, lasting about six months and including periods of recess.

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semester British  

/ sɪˈmɛstə /

noun

1. (in some universities) either of two divisions of the academic year, ranging from 15 to 18 weeks

2. (in German universities) a session of six months

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Usage

What does semester mean? A semester is one half of an academic year.If an academic year is divided into semesters, it means it is divided into two semesters. (If the year is divided into thirds, each part is called a trimester.)Semesters are typically used in high schools and universities. In many universities, a semester lasts 15 to 18 weeks. In German universities, a semester can last up to six months.Example: I’m thinking about taking a break from school for a semester to work and save some money.

Other Word Forms

• semestral adjective
• semestrial adjective

Etymology

Origin of semester

1820–30; < German < Latin sēmē ( n ) stris of six months duration < *sex-mēnstris, equivalent to sex six + mēns ( is ) month + -tris adj. suffix (perhaps representing an earlier *mens ( i ) -teros )

Example Sentences

Claudio Neves Valente, 48 years old, a former Brown student and Portuguese national, planned the attack for at least six semesters, according to video transcripts released by the Justice Department.

From The Wall Street Journal

On one of the last days of the fall semester, students brought their own cars to the shop.

From Los Angeles Times

After the first semester under the new rules, Harvard-Westlake school leaders reported promising results — and some students said they no longer are reflexively reaching for their phones and are sleeping better.

From Los Angeles Times

Economist Hengchen Dai and colleagues show that people are more likely to launch new goals after salient dates—birthdays, Mondays, the start of a semester and, of course, Jan. 1.

From The Wall Street Journal

This month Beijing proposed a ban on smartphones, computers and other screens for children up to 3 and required schools to conduct vision tests twice a semester.

From The Wall Street Journal