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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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 Tech Force program also aims to give 200 students in technology programs “meaningful public-service experience and the opportunity to earn college credits” in exchange for a volunteer Semester of Service.
From Barron's • Dec. 15, 2025
According to academics, the popularity of off-campus studies in the nation’s capital goes back to 1948 when American University launched its Washington Semester Program.
From Washington Times • May 29, 2023
By studying undergraduates in a program called Semester at Sea, before and during the voyage, Stoffregen accurately predicted who was going to get sick and to what degree.
From Washington Post • Nov. 1, 2018
It’s what motivated Chua with Sunrise Semester to spend three hours each day attempting to reach up to 100 voters in roughly 70 homes within her assigned “turf.”
From Salon • Oct. 13, 2018
When the summer Semester came to an end, we both stayed on at Heidelberg.
From Orpheus in Mayfair and Other Stories and Sketches by Baring, Maurice
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.
