semester
Americannoun
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(in many educational institutions) a division constituting half of the regular academic year, lasting typically from 15 to 18 weeks.
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(in German universities) a session, lasting about six months and including periods of recess.
noun
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(in some universities) either of two divisions of the academic year, ranging from 15 to 18 weeks
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(in German universities) a session of six months
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
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 )
Explanation
A semester is half of a school year. In September of your first year of high school, you could describe yourself as "a first-semester freshman." The noun semester comes up often when you're in high school and college. It's an easy way to divide the school year, into two equal halves, or semesters. Sometimes a class lasts for the whole year, and sometimes for just one semester. Occasionally schools split the year into three trimesters just to make things interesting. Originally, semester meant "six months," from the Latin root of the same meaning, semestris.
Vocabulary lists containing semester
When Stars Are Scattered
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American Street
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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.
The teenager was enrolled in a virtual learning academy at the San Diego Unified School District and was on track to graduate high school this semester, according to district spokesperson James Canning.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
A lucky few leave the semester with job offers waiting for them after college.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
It should be that you say there’s a lot of life change that happens over the 45 months from being a fall freshman to an end of an 8th semester, second semester senior.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Hampshire College will permanently close after the coming fall semester, after financial struggles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
“Try to get here a little earlier, okay? If it happens again this semester, I’ll be required to give you an after-school detention. It’s school policy.”
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
