seminary

seminary — noun

1. A place of higher education where students prepare for religious roles, such as

1.名詞B2
釋義

A place of higher education where students prepare for religious roles, such as becoming a priest, minister, or rabbi.

例句

After finishing university, Ilan chose to enter a seminary and study for the priesthood.

enter a seminary (begin religious training)

The seminary in central London accepts students from many different Christian traditions.

同義詞
  • theological college

    More common in British English; often part of a university rather than a standalone institution

  • divinity school

    Typically used for graduate-level programs within a US university; more academic in tone

  • rabbinical college

    Specifically for training rabbis in the Jewish tradition

文法句型

a/the seminary

enter/attend/leave + a/the seminary

seminary + for + noun/verb-ing

用法筆記

Frequently used with a preceding article (a seminary, the seminary). The phrase 'enter the seminary' is a fixed expression meaning to begin training for the priesthood or ministry.

常見錯誤

❌He went to seminary after college.
✅He went to a seminary after college.
💡'Seminary' is a countable noun and usually needs an article or determiner like 'a', 'the', or 'my'.
❌She studied at seminary for become a minister.
✅She studied at a seminary to become a minister.
💡Use 'to + infinitive' to express purpose, not 'for + verb'.

2. A school, especially one that is privately run, that provides general education

2.名詞C1
釋義

A school, especially one that is privately run, that provides general education without restricting its teaching to religious subjects.

例句

Sirin attended a small seminary in the countryside where she studied mathematics and literature.

attend a seminary (as a general school)

In the nineteenth century, many towns had seminaries that taught both boys and girls together.

historical usage: seminaries as general schools in the 1800s

同義詞
  • private school

    Much more common in modern English; the standard term for fee-paying schools

  • academy

    Often implies a school with a special focus or higher academic standards

  • boarding school

    Specifically refers to schools where students live on the premises

文法句型

a/the seminary

at a/the seminary

用法筆記

This sense is now rare in everyday English. In modern usage, 'seminary' almost always refers to a religious training college. For a general private school, use 'private school' or 'academy' instead.

常見錯誤

❌I send my daughter to a local seminary.' (in modern everyday speech).
✅I send my daughter to a local private school.
💡In modern English, 'seminary' almost always means a religious college; use 'private school' or 'academy' for general education.