seminal
adjective
sem·i·nal
ˈse-mə-nᵊl 
1
: of, relating to, or consisting of seed or semen
seminal discharge
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
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
While playing college football as a defensive lineman, Big E became a fan of Wale and his seminal 2008 project, The Mixtape About Nothing.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
The action-adventurer, who made her debut in 1996's seminal Tomb Raider game, received the title as part of the prestigious BAFTA Game Awards' global poll that asked 4,000 gamers to choose the most impactful gaming character in history.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2024
Known for his seminal ‘Bad Paintings’ of the 1960s and early 1970s—named with tongue firmly in cheek, as they were conceived as a reaction to the Pop Art craze which dominated at the time—Jenney is the archetype figure that the school recognizes each year.
—Freya Drohan, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
An Emmy for his role in the seminal 1977 TV miniseries Roots followed.
—Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
Faye Toogood, Roly-Poly Chair, 2014 Faye Toogood’s Roly-Poly chair, which debuted in 2014 as part of a collection of similarly rotund fiberglass furniture titled Assemblage 4, isn’t just a seminal piece of design — it’s also got a sense of humor.
—Evan Moffitt, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Before its collapse on Tuesday, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was considered a seminal engineering accomplishment.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
That might explain why Vail’s life story and his relationship with the seminal surf band are being made into a docuseries.
—Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 27 Mar. 2024
Heading into the weekend, Warner Bros., the studio behind the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal 1965 novel, conservatively projected a $65 million start, though most box office prognosticators believed that revenues would surpass $80 million.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 3 Mar. 2024
Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
The action-adventurer, who made her debut in 1996's seminal Tomb Raider game, received the title as part of the prestigious BAFTA Game Awards' global poll that asked 4,000 gamers to choose the most impactful gaming character in history.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2024
Known for his seminal ‘Bad Paintings’ of the 1960s and early 1970s—named with tongue firmly in cheek, as they were conceived as a reaction to the Pop Art craze which dominated at the time—Jenney is the archetype figure that the school recognizes each year.
—Freya Drohan, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
An Emmy for his role in the seminal 1977 TV miniseries Roots followed.
—Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
Faye Toogood, Roly-Poly Chair, 2014 Faye Toogood’s Roly-Poly chair, which debuted in 2014 as part of a collection of similarly rotund fiberglass furniture titled Assemblage 4, isn’t just a seminal piece of design — it’s also got a sense of humor.
—Evan Moffitt, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Before its collapse on Tuesday, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was considered a seminal engineering accomplishment.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
That might explain why Vail’s life story and his relationship with the seminal surf band are being made into a docuseries.
—Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 27 Mar. 2024
Heading into the weekend, Warner Bros., the studio behind the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal 1965 novel, conservatively projected a $65 million start, though most box office prognosticators believed that revenues would surpass $80 million.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 3 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seminal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near seminal
Cite this Entry
“Seminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seminal. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
seminal
adjective
sem·i·nal
ˈsem-ən-ᵊl
: of, relating to, or consisting of seed or semen
seminal discharge
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