an outline or other brief statement of the main points of a discourse, the subjects of a course of lectures, the contents of a curriculum, etc.
Law.
a short summary of the legal basis of a court's decision appearing at the beginning of a reported case.
a book containing summaries of the leading cases in a legal field, used especially by students.
Also called Syllabus of Errors. (often initial capital letter) the list of 80 propositions condemned as erroneous by Pope Pius IX in 1864.
an outline of a course of studies, text, etc
the subjects studied for a particular course
a document which lists these subjects and states how the course will be assessed
Also called: Syllabus of Errors. a list of 80 doctrinal theses condemned as erroneous by Pius IX in 1864
a list of 65 Modernist propositions condemned as erroneous by Pius X in 1907
Plural word for syllabus The plural form of syllabus can be either syllabuses or syllabi, pronounced [ sil-uh-bahy ], but syllabi is more widely used. The plurals of several other singular words ending in -us are also formed in this way, such as virus/viruses, sinus/sinuses, and walrus/walruses. Irregular plurals that are formed like syllabi, such as cactus/cacti and fungus/fungi, derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin. However, the standard English plural -es ending is often also acceptable for these terms, as in cactuses.
1650–60; < New Latin syllabus, syllabos, probably a misreading (in manuscripts of Cicero) of Greek síttybās, accusative plural of síttyba label for a papyrus roll
A syllabus is a document that outlines everything that will be covered in a class. A syllabus for World Domination 101 might include: strategies for brainwashing the masses, creating an army on a budget, cultivating absolute certainty, and so on. The noun syllabus comes from the Late Latin word syllabus, meaning “list.” When you teach a class you may be required to make an outline of what you will expect the students to do in your class. That’s the syllabus. A syllabus could vaguely mention the topics that will be covered each week or it can be a detailed synopsis of every reading assignment, homework expectation, and exam question. Syllabus style is the teacher’s choice.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But her thorough coursework and off-the-beaten-path syllabus of films opened my eyes to countless new ideas and perspectives.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
But the syllabus today is at a tipping point.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Professors who are Luddites or have used the same syllabus for years sometimes struggle to get out of that state of inertia, Cook said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
Givan has appointed Prof Noel Purdy from Stranmillis University College to chair the panel which will draw up the new RE syllabus.
From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026
She goes back to the Xerox room to copy her syllabus and a short passage from Flaubert to translate in class.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Over the past few years, our team at the Open Syllabus Project has collected and analyzed more than six million syllabuses from university websites.
From New York Times ● Oct. 19, 2019
That, at least, was the case until January this year, when data scientists, sociologists and digital-humanities researchers at Columbia University in New York City launched a tool called the Open Syllabus Explorer.
From Nature ● Oct. 30, 2016
Her Syllabus course paired up graduate students and preschoolers as co-researchers, stressing that it should be an equal exchange.
From The Guardian ● May 14, 2015
Syllabus for the class can be found here.
From Forbes ● Dec. 12, 2014
Gradually, this informal history grew into a course of study, constructed by the High Organ, which became known as Syllabus A, involving two years of lectures on the ANC and the liberation struggle.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Of course none of these plays are routinely read in high school or even college, but their absence from syllabi can be a virtue for audiences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
While most of his peers were still swapping syllabi and feeling out new professors, Mahdawi had started his day not in a classroom, but in immigration court—virtually, on Webex.
From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2025
I was an English major back then and read so much Shakespeare, and you can look at syllabi now and see students still do.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2024
Professors are fearful, editing their syllabi and watching their speech, as they navigate the boundaries of compliance, Smith said.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 16, 2024
Only a dozen or so students are there, fumbling with notebooks and syllabi.
From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom
After, the dream: bestselling author, Pulitzer Prize finalist, his book on syllabuses across the country, invited to speak at literary events worldwide.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
Discussion of new class schedules and syllabuses, and the excitement of students learning their friends were in the same course, filled the plaza between the Student Union Building and campus library Wednesday morning.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 11, 2023
The notification will come through syllabuses, email, newsletters and learning management systems, per the policy.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 30, 2022
Professors talked of whittling their syllabuses and lowering their expectations.
From New York Times ● Nov. 1, 2022
Very closely allied with this, is the great advantage of freedom in the preparation of syllabuses, in the choice of subject matter and the manner of teaching it.
From Women Workers in Seven Professions by Morley, Edith J.
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.
