semiconductor

American  

[sem-ee-kuhn-duhk-ter, sem-ahy-] / ˌsɛm i kənˈdʌk tər, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

noun

1. a substance, as silicon or germanium, with electrical conductivity intermediate between that of an insulator and a conductor: a basic component of various kinds of electronic circuit element semiconductor device used in communications, control, and detection technology and in computers.

2. a semiconductor device.

---

semiconductor British  

/ ˌsɛmɪkənˈdʌktə /

noun

1. a substance, such as germanium or silicon, that has an electrical conductivity that increases with temperature and is intermediate between that of a metal and an insulator

2. 1. a device, such as a transistor or integrated circuit, that depends on the properties of such a substance

   2. ( as modifier )

      a semiconductor diode

---

semiconductor Scientific  

/ sĕm′ē-kən-dŭk′tər /

1. Any of various solid substances, such as silicon or germanium, that conduct electricity more easily than insulators but less easily than conductors. In semiconductors, thermal energy is enough to cause a small number of electrons to escape from the valence bonds between the atoms (the valence band); they orbit instead in the higher-energy conduction band, in which they are relatively free. The resulting gaps in the valence band are called holes. Semiconductors are vital to the design of electronic components and circuitry, including transistors, laser diodes, and memory and computer processing circuits.

---

semiconductor Cultural  

1. A material that conducts (see conduction) electricity, but very poorly. Silicon is the most common and familiar semiconductor. Devices made from semiconductors, such as the transistor, are the basis of the modern microelectric industry.

---

Other Word Forms

• semiconduction
  noun

Etymology

Origin of semiconductor

First recorded in 1875–80; semi- + conductor

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

semiconductor

Critics said the overhaul opened up a path for advanced manufacturing facilities such as strip miners, chemical producers, battery recyclers and semiconductor plants to open in communities without any environmental review.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Kim expects chip exports to jump 175% this year and 41% next year, with long-term agreements by semiconductor companies likely to help the country sustain strong exports and current-account surpluses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

TA Securities maintains a neutral rating on Malaysia’s semiconductor sector, pegging Dagang NeXchange as its top pick.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

“The data-center build-out is rate-sensitive, and therefore any sign that interest rates may not move up as much is a positive for the build-out and, by extension, semiconductor companies,” Luria said in emailed comments.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

Still, he had to keep himself from saying something snide about the lack of tangible good resulting from keeping MPs up to date on the poleconomy of semiconductor production in PacRim sweatshops.

From Eastern Standard Tribe by Cory Doctorow