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seminarian

American

[sem-uh-nair-ee-uhn] / ˌsɛm əˈnɛər i ən /

Also seminarist

noun

a student in a theological seminary.

seminarian British

/ ˌsɛmɪˈnɛərɪən /

noun

a student at a seminary

"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

Etymology

Origin of seminarian

First recorded in 1575–85; seminary + -an

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.

See Examples For:

seminarian

A onetime seminarian — he left three years shy of being ordained a Catholic priest — Reilly was no saint.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

The 37-year-old former Presbyterian seminarian and middle school teacher is aiming to become the first Texas Democrat to win a Senate seat in three decades.

From Barron's ● Jun. 13, 2026

But Talarico, a former middle school teacher and seminarian, has energized Democrats, who hope that record-setting campaign fundraising could help flip the seat.

From Salon ● May 30, 2026

Though first and foremost a seminarian, Khamenei read widely and kept varied company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026

Tell a seminarian that he has to hurry and all of a sudden he starts to ignore bystanders in obvious distress.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023