Word
hilary
Phoneticshi·lary
/ˈhɪɫɝi/
Definitions
01academic or legal term
n. the period of time in the winter when universities are open or courts are in session.
n. The second term of the academic or legal year in the United Kingdom and Ireland, typically running from January to March.
“The students returned to Oxford in January for the start of the Hilary term.”
“The High Court scheduled the complex litigation to be heard during the Hilary term, ensuring a verdict before the spring recess.”
British English · Formal
Usage
Usually capitalized and often followed by the word 'term'.
Teaching tip
This is a highly specific cultural term; most learners will only encounter it in the context of British universities like Oxford or Dublin, or the UK legal system.
Synonyms
02a person's name
n. a first name for a man or a woman, or a family name.
n. A given name of Latin origin, historically male but now more commonly female in many English-speaking regions; also functions as a surname.
“Hilary and her friends went to the park to enjoy the sunshine.”
“The biography of Hilary Mantel provides deep insights into the literary landscape of contemporary Britain.”
Usage
Always capitalized as a proper noun.
Teaching tip
While historically used for both genders, in modern American English it is almost exclusively a female name.
Etymology
From Latin Hilarius (“cheerful, happy”), name of a fourth-century saint, and from its feminine form Hilaria.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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