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Semester

One of two main halves of the school or college year.

Used in
United States, International
Topic
School calendar

Being checked against official sources. This definition is written in our own words; always check the official guidance for your country.

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Trimester United States
One of three parts of a school year used by some schools for grading.
Quarter United States
One of four grading periods in many US school years; at some colleges, a term of about ten weeks.
Term All four UK nations (details may differ)
One of the three main parts of the school year in the UK: autumn, spring and summer, each usually split by a half-term holiday.

More terms: School calendar

Grading period · Instructional days · Make-up day · Snow day · Summer school · Teacher in-service day

More terms starting with S · Education glossary A–Z · Get a TIP for your class

Definitions are written by Classfern in our own words for teachers in the UK and the US. They are short explanations, not legal or official definitions: always check the official guidance for your country, nation or state. Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government department, inspectorate or exam board named here.