SEMESTER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does semester mean? 

• SEMESTER (noun)
  The noun SEMESTER has 2 senses:

1. one of two divisions of an academic year

2. half a year; a period of 6 months

  Familiarity information: SEMESTER used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SEMESTER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

One of two divisions of an academic year

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Hypernyms ("semester" is a kind of...):

academic session; academic term; school term; session (the time during which a school holds classes)

Holonyms ("semester" is a part of...):

academic year; school year (the period of time each year when the school is open and people are studying)

Derivation:

semestral (occurring every six months or during every period of six months)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Half a year; a period of 6 months

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Hypernyms ("semester" is a kind of...):

period; period of time; time period (an amount of time)

Derivation:

semestral; semestrial (occurring every six months or during every period of six months)

 Context examples 

A professional, postgraduate degree that requires completion of a program in pharmacy that meets all of the following criteria: completion of the academic requirements to begin practice in the profession; at least 2 years of college work prior to entering the program; eight academic semesters after admission to the School of Pharmacy that involve extensive instruction in professional pharmacy pre-clinical and clinical sciences.

(Doctor of Pharmacy, NCI Thesaurus)