seminal
Americanadjective
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pertaining to, containing, or consisting of semen.
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Botany. of or relating to seed.
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having possibilities of future development.
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highly original and influencing the development of future events.
a seminal artist; seminal ideas.
- Synonyms:
- innovative, formative, primary, germinal
adjective
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potentially capable of development
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highly original, influential, and important
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rudimentary or unformed
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of or relating to semen
seminal fluid
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biology of or relating to seed
Other Word Forms
- interseminal adjective
- preseminal adjective
- seminality noun
- seminally adverb
Etymology
Origin of seminal
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin sēminālis, equivalent to sēmin- (stem of sēmen ) seed, semen + -ālis -al 1
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 result is a pair of shows whose three centuries of offerings range from early paintings recording seminal moments in the country’s history to modern masterpieces that reflect the ever-evolving idea of Americanness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
"This is nothing less than another seminal moment in global supply chain history," Jean-Martin Bauer, the director of WFP's food and nutrition analysis service, told reporters in Geneva.
From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026
The seminal work by Glass lands at L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
A seminal moment came in 1991, when his adoptive mother Monica received a letter.
From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026
These were always original and often influential, even seminal.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
