seminar
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a small university class where students and a teacher discuss a topic together.
n.a small group session in higher education where students engage in discussion and present research under the guidance of a tutor.
Simple“In our history seminar, we spent the whole hour debating the causes of the war.”
In context“The graduate seminar requires students to present their preliminary findings to their peers for critical feedback before submitting their final thesis chapters.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a meeting where people in the same job or business share information and learn new skills.
n.a professional meeting or short course designed to exchange information or provide training within a specific industry.
Simple“The company sent the sales team to a two-day seminar on digital marketing.”
In context“The legal firm hosted a seminar to update its clients on recent changes to international tax regulations and compliance standards.”
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
v.to take part in or lead a seminar discussion.
v.to engage in the activities of a seminar, either as a participant or a facilitator.
Simple“The professors spent the afternoon seminaring with their doctoral candidates.”
In context“The visiting scholar spent the week seminaring with the faculty, exploring the intersection of linguistics and cognitive psychology.”
UsageThis verb is intransitive and is primarily used in high-level academic contexts.
“What our reviewer said “There is nothing dreary here; no sense of being back in the seminar room taking notes.”
From German Seminar, from Latin sēminārium, from sēmen (“seed”). Compare seminary.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.