semester

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈme-stər 

1

: either of the two usually 18-week periods of instruction into which an academic year is often divided

2

: a period of six months

semestral

sə-ˈme-strəl 

adjective

or semestrial

sə-ˈme-strē-əl 

Examples of semester in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Stellantis has averaged around a 9% margin over the last four quarters semesters. —Neil Winton, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024

Just a few days into the semester, more protesters have already been arrested. —Emma Green, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024

China’s new war: America’s freedom depends on confronting the threat by Sen. David Perdue ✪ ‘No peace’ on campus this semester ✪ GOP downballot disaster: Trump’s picks could come back to haunt him by Isaac Schorr Your Land ★★★ Dress codes? —Peter Cordi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Sep. 2024

After Dark is practicing the fundamentals over the next four weeks, kicking off a fall semester of midnight movies that’s all about students, teachers, parents, and the lethal side of learning. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

German, from Latin semestris half-yearly, from sex six + mensis month — more at six, moon

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing semester

• semester hour

Kids Definition

semester

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈmes-tər 

: either of two terms of about 18 weeks each that make up a school year