Semester
sem-ESS-ter /sɪˈmestə/
Neutral Neutral
What it really means
Half of the academic year. Many UK universities have two semesters (autumn and spring), each ending with assessment. Others use three shorter terms instead.
Chinese explanation
学期（一学年分两个 semester：秋季和春季），每学期末有考核。有些学校则用三个较短的 term。
Example conversation
A: Is this module all year?
B: No, just semester one — exam in January.
A：这门课是全年的吗？
B：不是，只有第一学期——一月考试。
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.
Related phrases
Official sources
Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.
Go deeper
All University Words
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake