seminar

American  

[sem-uh-nahr] / ˈsɛm əˌnɑr /

noun

1. 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.

2. the gathering place of such a group.

3. a meeting of such a group.

4. a course or subject of study for advanced graduate students.

5. any meeting for exchanging information and holding discussions.

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seminar British  

/ ˈsɛmɪˌnɑː /

noun

1. a small group of students meeting regularly under the guidance of a tutor, professor, etc, to exchange information, discuss theories, etc

2. one such meeting or the place in which it is held

3. a higher course for postgraduates

4. any group or meeting for holding discussions or exchanging information

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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.

Example Sentences

Earlier this month, the organization hosted a seminar with special effects makeup artist Veniesa Dillon on sculpting techniques and prosthetic application.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

Current and former UFC fighters will visit the FBI Special Agent Academy in Quantico, Virginia, this weekend for a "training seminar" for senior FBI staff and students.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

The FBI didn’t immediately respond to a request for more information, including the cost of the two-day seminar in Quantico, Va., and who, if anyone, would pay.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

A virtual reality HR seminar is hosted by “a computerized amalgamation of all five personalities of the Rat Pack,” an immersive Autoverse, in which actors create situations that somehow amount to a driving test.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

I'd been just another Yale medical student and had never really thought of fighting until I got shut out of an endotracheal intubation seminar and signed up for a boxing class instead.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Related Words

• convention
• discussion
• forum
• group discussion
• meeting
• round table
• symposium
• workshop