semester

[ si-mes-ter ]

noun

1. (in many educational institutions) a division constituting half of the regular academic year, lasting typically from 15 to 18 weeks.
2. (in German universities) a session, lasting about six months and including periods of recess.

semester

/ sɪˈmɛstə /

noun

1. (in some universities) either of two divisions of the academic year, ranging from 15 to 18 weeks
2. (in German universities) a session of six months

Derived Forms

• seˈmestral, adjective

Other Words From

• se·mestral se·mes·tri·al [si-, mes, -tree-, uh, l], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of semester¹

1820–30; < German < Latin sēmē ( n ) stris of six months duration < *sex-mēnstris, equivalent to sex six + mēns ( is ) month + -tris adj. suffix (perhaps representing an earlier *mens ( i ) -teros )

Word History and Origins

Origin of semester¹

C19: via German from Latin sēmestris half-yearly, from sex six + mensis a month

Example Sentences

I moved to Hawaii from Portland after I graduated high school and went to school for a semester and a half, then dropped out.

From Los Angeles Times

UC Irvine has a similar program called the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute that costs $25 in the summer, $160 per semester during the spring and fall, and $235 for the whole year and allows older adults to take unlimited classes.

From Los Angeles Times

At Senator Ruben S. Ayala Senior High School in Chino Hills, students this semester complained of broken air conditioners and bathroom sinks, faulty Chromebooks and Wi-Fi and, in one classroom, a ceiling leak that dripped into a bucket by a teacher’s desk as rats scurried across the floor.

From Los Angeles Times

She has no love for Gov. Ron DeSantis or the other Republicans who criminalized abortion in her state—but she has still spent her semester making common cause with some of their supporters.

From Slate

When students moved into their dorms this semester, campaign representatives were there to greet them and recruit them to the cause.

From Slate