Meaning & use
seminary
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Meanings
nouncountable
A college that trains people to become priests, ministers or other religious leaders.
Grammar: Often used with study or attend: he attended seminary.
Patterns
- attend seminary
- a seminary for something
He entered the seminary at nineteen to become a priest.
The seminary has a library of ancient texts.
After college, she attended seminary to become a minister.
nouncountableold-fashioned
In the past, a private school, especially one for girls.
Grammar: Old-fashioned sense in historical writing.
Patterns
- a seminary for young ladies
She was educated at a seminary for young ladies in Boston.
The village seminary closed in 1890.
Word forms
| plural | seminaries |
|---|
Common combinations
- attend seminary
- He attended seminary in Chicago.
- theological seminary
- She teaches at a theological seminary.
- enter the seminary
- At eighteen he entered the seminary.
- seminary student
- The seminary student gave a sermon.
- seminary training
- Seminary training takes several years.
Synonyms and how they differ
- theological college
- Theological college is the common British phrase, while seminary is more common in America.
- divinity school
- Divinity school is usually part of a university, while seminary may stand alone.
- academy
- Academy is a general school for special training, while seminary is religious.
Word family
- seminarian noun
- a student at a seminary
- seminar noun
- a small class for discussion
- seminal adjective
- highly influential and original
Commonly confused: seminary or seminar? seminary or cemetery?
seminary vs seminar
A seminar is a class or meeting for discussion; a seminary is a school for religious training.
seminary vs cemetery
Cemetery sounds somewhat similar but is a burial ground, with a different spelling and meaning.
Practice
Anna wanted to become a minister, so after college she enrolled in a ____.
Choose one answer.
A seminary trains people for religious work. A seminar is a class meeting, not a school.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “seminary”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.