webinar

American  

[web-uh-nahr] / ˈwɛb əˌnɑr /

noun

1. a seminar or other presentation that takes place on the internet, allowing participants in different locations to see and hear the presenter, ask questions, and sometimes answer polls.

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webinar British  

/ ˈwɛbɪˌnɑː /

noun

1. an interactive seminar conducted over the World Wide Web

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Etymology

Origin of webinar

First recorded in 1990–95; Web + (sem)inar

Explanation

A webinar is a class or presentation that takes place online. The advantage of a webinar over an in-person workshop is that anyone in the world can participate. The term webinar, coined in the 1990s, is a portmanteau of web and seminar. While a traditional seminar brings together small groups of students to study and discuss subjects in depth, a webinar attempts the same thing via the web. To attend a webinar, you need a computer (or a smartphone or tablet), and an internet connection. Otherwise, it works much the same way, with opportunities to ask questions give comments, and join discussions.

Example Sentences

More than 300 schools attended an EA webinar on Tuesday to advise them on what steps to take, but the EA said that there was no evidence that teachers' or students' data had been compromised.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Speaking at an Encore webinar about “the new LinkedIn,” communications specialist Debra Yearwood recommended writing a LinkedIn headline that combines your desired position and your skills.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

At the webinar, school officials said two buildings near the outdoor pool have not yet been cleared through environmental testing and will remain closed.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2026

“There really wasn’t anything that we didn’t already know” in the Davos address, Ivy Zelman, executive vice president of a Walker & Dunlop housing research firm, said on a Wednesday webinar.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

That was the judgment of four veteran correspondents with the Israeli newspaper Haaretz speaking on a subscribers’ webinar last week, and they’re probably right.

From Slate • Nov. 3, 2025