syllabus

[ sil-uh-buhs ]

noun

, plural syl·la·bus·es, syl·la·bi [sil, -, uh, -bahy].

1. 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.
2. Law.
   1. a short summary of the legal basis of a court's decision appearing at the beginning of a reported case.
   2. a book containing summaries of the leading cases in a legal field, used especially by students.
3. (often initial capital letter) Also called Syllabus of Errors. Roman Catholic Church. the list of 80 propositions condemned as erroneous by Pope Pius IX in 1864.

Syllabus

¹

/ ˈsɪləbəs /

noun

1. Also calledSyllabus of Errors a list of 80 doctrinal theses condemned as erroneous by Pius IX in 1864
2. a list of 65 Modernist propositions condemned as erroneous by Pius X in 1907

syllabus

²

/ ˈsɪləbəs /

noun

1. an outline of a course of studies, text, etc
2. 1. the subjects studied for a particular course
   2. a document which lists these subjects and states how the course will be assessed

Word History and Origins

Origin of syllabus¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of syllabus¹

C17: from Late Latin, erroneously from Latin sittybus parchment strip giving title and author, from Greek sittuba

Example Sentences

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

I anticipated receiving my ribbons — normally achieved when a dancer reaches Grade 3 in the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus — more than graduating to pointe shoes.

From Los Angeles Times

Their romance has inspired a Mardi Gras float, been referenced in Australia's education syllabus, and even featured in the Netflix series Atypical.

From BBC

For teens unfamiliar with NATO, war and world politics, Björkwall’s new syllabus seeks to demystify topics his students see online.

From Seattle Times

After UW’s Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering suggested that professors put a land acknowledgment in their syllabi, Reges responded by crafting his own acknowledgment.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• curriculum
• synopsis

What Is The Plural Of Syllabus?

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.