semester

[ si-mes-ter ]
See synonyms for: semestersemestral on Thesaurus.com

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.

Origin of semester

1
1820–30; <German <Latin sēmē(n)stris of six months duration <*sex-mēnstris, equivalent to sexsix + mēns(is) month + -tris adj. suffix (perhaps representing an earlier *mens(i)-teros)

Other words from semester

  • se·mes·tral, se·mes·tri·al [si-mes-tree-uhl], /sɪˈmɛs tri əl/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use semester in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for semester

semester

/ (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

Origin of semester

1
C19: via German from Latin sēmestris half-yearly, from sex six + mensis a month

Derived forms of semester

  • semestral, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012