seminal

adjective

sem·​i·​nal ˈse-mə-nᵊl How to pronounce seminal (audio)
Synonyms of seminal
1
: of, relating to, or consisting of seed or semen
seminal discharge
2
: containing or contributing the seeds of later development : creative, original
a seminal book
seminally
ˈse-mə-nᵊl-ē How to pronounce seminal (audio)
adverb

Examples of seminal in a Sentence

Kandel was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine in 2000 for his seminal observation that it was in the action of the synapses between cells that memory existed, not in the cells themselves, and that a molecule called cyclic AMP was what allowed cells to retain memory over the long term. —Michael Greenberg, New York Review of Books, 4 Dec. 2008
Writer Susan Sontag died December 28 at age 71 after a long battle with cancer. She left behind an impressive body of fiction and criticism, including her seminal 1960s essays "Notes on Camp" and "Against Interpretation." —Allan Gurganus, Advocate, 1 Feb. 2005
I wonder if the curators who organized "Matisse Picasso" ever asked themselves why it was that Alfred H. Barr Jr., the first director of the Museum of Modern Art and the guiding spirit behind the museum's seminal exhibitions of both Picasso and Matisse, never mounted a show like the one that has now arrived at MoMA QNS. Such an exhibition might seem to be logical, almost inevitable for the Museum of Modern Art. —Jed Perl, New Republic, 3 Mar. 2003
Recent Examples on the Web
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Memories of seminal events of the past offer a lens through which to consider the present. — Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026 Kerry's activism reflects seminal moments from her younger years. — Diane Cole, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026 The rap superstar and 25-time Grammy winner has been in the news amidst his global Jay-Z 30 Tour concerts to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his debut album Reasonable Doubt and the 25th anniversary of his seminal The Blueprint. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026 In 2001, the brilliant columnist Robert Lipsyte wrote a seminal column for The New York Times on the ugly status of college sports in American higher education. — Bruce Svare, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for seminal

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin seminalis, from semin-, semen seed — more at semen

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of seminal was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing seminal

Rhymes for seminal

See All Rhymes for seminal

Browse Nearby Words

semimystical
seminal
seminal animalcule
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Seminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seminal. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Medical Definition

seminal

adjective
sem·​i·​nal ˈsem-ən-ᵊl How to pronounce seminal (audio)
: of, relating to, or consisting of seed or semen
seminal discharge

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