semester

The word “semester” means half of an academic year, typically lasting around six months. In plain terms, one of the two main terms that make up a school or university year.

“Semester” is pronounced sih-MEHS-tuh (/sɪˈmɛstɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “semester” used in a sentence: “She's studying abroad for the spring semester.”

“Semester” is a noun.

The word “semester” comes from Latin. From German Semester, from Latin sēmestris, "lasting six months," combining sex ("six") and mensis ("month").

“Semester” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

A semester is specifically half of an academic year, so a semester system divides the year into two main teaching blocks. Term is the more general word for any division of the academic year; British schools, for instance, commonly split the year into three terms.

A semester divides the academic year into two halves, while a trimester divides it into three parts. Semesters are therefore longer, typically covering around six months of the year each, whereas each trimester covers roughly a third of the year.

A semester is half of an academic year, typically spanning around six months of the calendar. The actual teaching weeks inside a semester are usually fewer, since the period also absorbs exams and breaks.

A semester splits the academic year into two halves, while a quarter system divides it into shorter sessions of roughly a quarter of the year each. Students on a quarter system move through more, shorter study blocks per year than students on the two-semester pattern.