noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈsɛmɪnɑɹ/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈsɛmɪnɑː/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S EH1 M AH0 N AA2 R
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A class held for advanced studies in which students meet regularly to discuss original research, under the guidance of a professor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Students attended a seminar on climate change.
She gave a guest lecture during the philosophy seminar.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A meeting held for the exchange of useful information by members of a common business community.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The company hosted a training seminar for new employees.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To participate in or lead a seminar.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a course offered for a small group of advanced students
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: course, course of study, course of instruction, class
5
noun
Meaning 5
any meeting for an exchange of ideas
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: conference
History
Etymology
From German Seminar, from Latin sēminārium, from sēmen (“seed”). Compare seminary.
Across languages
Translations
48 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
نَدْوَة
(nadwa)
— class held for advanced studies
Chinese Mandarin:
講座 /讲座
(jiǎngzuò)
— class held for advanced studies
Czech:
seminář
— class held for advanced studies
Finnish:
seminaari
— class held for advanced studies
French:
séminaire
— class held for advanced studies
German:
Seminar
— class held for advanced studies
Greek:
σεμινάριο
(seminário)
— class held for advanced studies
Hungarian:
szeminárium
— class held for advanced studies
Hungarian:
gyakorlat
— class held for advanced studies
Italian:
seminario
— class held for advanced studies
Japanese:
ゼミナール
(zemināru)
— class held for advanced studies
Japanese:
ゼミ
(zemi)
— class held for advanced studies
Japanese:
セミナー
(seminā)
— class held for advanced studies
Kazakh:
семинар
(seminar)
— class held for advanced studies
Korean:
세미나
(semina)
— class held for advanced studies
Māori:
wānanga
— class held for advanced studies
Norwegian Bokmål:
seminar
— class held for advanced studies
Norwegian Nynorsk:
seminar
— class held for advanced studies
Polish:
konwersatorium
— class held for advanced studies
Polish:
seminarium
— class held for advanced studies
Portuguese:
seminário
— class held for advanced studies
Russian:
семина́р
(seminár)
— class held for advanced studies
Slovak:
seminár
— class held for advanced studies
Swahili:
warsha
— class held for advanced studies
Swahili:
semina
— class held for advanced studies
Swedish:
seminarium
— class held for advanced studies
Tagalog:
binhisipan
— class held for advanced studies
Thai:
สัมมนา
(sǎm-má-naa)
— class held for advanced studies
Ukrainian:
семінар
(seminar)
— class held for advanced studies
Yiddish:
סעמינאַר
(seminar)
— class held for advanced studies
Chinese Mandarin:
研討會 /研讨会
(yántǎohuì)
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Finnish:
seminaari
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
German:
Kolloquium
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Greek:
διάσκεψη
(diáskepsi)
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Hungarian:
szeminárium
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Kazakh:
семинар
(seminar)
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Latin:
sēminārium
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Norwegian Bokmål:
seminar
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Norwegian Nynorsk:
seminar
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Portuguese:
seminário
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Russian:
семина́р
(seminár)
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Spanish:
seminario
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Swahili:
warsha
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Swahili:
semina
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Swedish:
seminarium
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Tagalog:
binhisipan
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Thai:
สัมมนา
(sǎm-má-naa)
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information
Ukrainian:
семінар
(seminar)
— meeting held for the exchange of useful information