# seminar

/ˈsɛməˌnɑɹ/ (US) · /sˈɛmɪnˌɑː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/seminar
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. academic class

noun · CEFR B2

a small university class where students and a teacher discuss a topic together.

For teachers: a small group session in higher education where students engage in discussion and present research under the guidance of a tutor.

- In our history seminar, we spent the whole hour debating the causes of the war.
- The graduate seminar requires students to present their preliminary findings to their peers for critical feedback before submitting their final thesis chapters.

### 2. professional meeting

noun · CEFR B2

a meeting where people in the same job or business share information and learn new skills.

For teachers: a professional meeting or short course designed to exchange information or provide training within a specific industry.

- The company sent the sales team to a two-day seminar on digital marketing.
- The legal firm hosted a seminar to update its clients on recent changes to international tax regulations and compliance standards.

### 3. to participate in a seminar

verb · CEFR C2 · Academic · Formal

to take part in or lead a seminar discussion.

For teachers: to engage in the activities of a seminar, either as a participant or a facilitator.

- The professors spent the afternoon seminaring with their doctoral candidates.
- The visiting scholar spent the week seminaring with the faculty, exploring the intersection of linguistics and cognitive psychology.

Usage: This verb is intransitive and is primarily used in high-level academic contexts.

## Examples

- I have a history seminar every Tuesday morning.
- The professor asked each student to lead one seminar during the semester to encourage more active participation.
- While lectures provide a broad overview of the subject, the weekly seminar allows for a more granular analysis of the primary texts through peer-to-peer debate.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.