seminar
Americannoun
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a small group of students, as in a university, engaged in advanced study and original research under a member of the faculty and meeting regularly to exchange information and hold discussions.
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the gathering place of such a group.
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a meeting of such a group.
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a course or subject of study for advanced graduate students.
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any meeting for exchanging information and holding discussions.
noun
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a small group of students meeting regularly under the guidance of a tutor, professor, etc, to exchange information, discuss theories, etc
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one such meeting or the place in which it is held
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a higher course for postgraduates
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any group or meeting for holding discussions or exchanging information
Etymology
Origin of seminar
1885–90, < German < Latin sēminārium seminary
Explanation
A seminar means a class or meeting, but it carries with it extra weight. An educational seminar indicates a small, advanced study, while a meeting labeled as such means an intense exchange of ideas. The Latin seminarium originally referred to a plant nursery, a place of great growth. From this came the German seminar, referring to a formal educational group led by a professor. While university seminars are most frequently small-group studies of a particular issue, the word is also applied to large lectures and commercial pitches. Like the seminar you attended on how to get rich by selling carrot peelers to your neighbors.
Vocabulary lists containing seminar
The Vocabulary of College
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UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #4
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: semi-
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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.
Then came a seminar on citrus black spot, another recent arrival.
From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026
There’s something refreshingly 19th century about Patrick Page’s traveling Shakespeare seminar, “All the Devils Are Here,” which opened Thursday at BroadStage in Santa Monica.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2026
"We had DJed at the Born to Be Wide music seminar in Edinburgh and we had never DJed before, " recalls Aarti, the only remaining original member.
From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025
"The United States and the European Union are heavily reliant on imports of rare earth elements, underscoring significant risks to critical industries," said Amelia Haines, commodities analyst at BMI, at a seminar this month.
From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025
Boubacar had often invited her to visit his class, a seminar on contemporary African issues.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
