seminal
adjective
sem·i·nal
| \ ˈse-mə-nᵊl
\
\
Definition of seminal
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Other Words from seminal
seminally
\ ˈse-mə-nᵊl-ē
\
adverb
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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
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Recent Examples on the Web
Doe, a founding member of the seminal punk bank X, and DeSavia, a music executive, will join musicians Angelo Moore of Fishbone and Keith Morris of Black Flag and Circle Jerks in a panel discussion. — Agatha French, Los Angeles Times, "These L.A. book events rival Labor Day barbecues and the beach," 30 Aug. 2019 But even for those who plunged into its excesses headfirst, there’s no forgetting the seminal event 50 years ago this month that in one word summons a place, a time and even a new way of looking at life. — Charlie Brennan, The Denver Post, "50 years on, Woodstock memories still glow for those who were there," 10 Aug. 2019 The original Woodstock, a festival pushing the message of peace, love and music, was a seminal, groundbreaking event in 1969 that featured performances by Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Joan Baez, the Who and other iconic acts. — CBS News, "Troubled Woodstock 50 music festival canceled after series of setbacks," 31 July 2019 The original Woodstock, a festival pushing the message of peace, love and music, was a seminal, groundbreaking event in 1969 that featured performances by Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Joan Baez, the Who and other iconic acts. — Mesfin Fekadu, chicagotribune.com, "Organizers finally cancel troubled Woodstock 50 festival," 31 July 2019 The original Woodstock, a festival pushing the message of peace, love and music, was a seminal, groundbreaking event in 1969 that featured performances by Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Joan Baez, the Who and other iconic acts. — Washington Post, "Organizers finally cancel troubled Woodstock 50 festival," 31 July 2019 In fact, drag performers were reportedly on the front lines during one of the most seminal events in LGBTQ history: the Stonewall uprising. — Nick Ramsey, NBC News, "Drag's 'power of rebellion' is keeping Stonewall legacy alive," 26 June 2019 In between those two seminal events, some of the greatest innovations in existence emerged: the cell, the genetic code and an energy system to fuel it all. — Quanta Magazine, "How Structure Arose in the Primordial Soup," 16 Apr. 2015 Auburn’s quarterbacks won’t go live during the team’s first fall scrimmage, but Thursday’s practice inside Jordan-Hare Stadium could be the seminal moment of fall camp for the Tigers’ offense. — Tom Green | [email protected], al, "1st scrimmage looms large in Auburn quarterback race, but Joey Gatewood, Bo Nix won’t go live," 7 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'seminal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for seminal
seminal
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of seminal
formal
: having a strong influence on ideas, works, events, etc., that come later : very important and influential
medical
: of or containing semen
See the full definition for seminal in the English Language Learners Dictionary
seminal
adjective
sem·i·nal
| \ ˈsem-ən-ᵊl
\
\
Medical Definition of seminal
: of, relating to, or consisting of seed or semen
seminal discharge
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