trimester
noun
ˈtrī-ˌme-
Did you know?
Semester, which comes from the Latin words for "six" and "month", has come to mean half an academic year when the year is divided into two segments. When an academic year is divided into three segments, each is called a trimester (which is usually a bit more accurate, since each segment often is close to three months in length). Some colleges operate on the "quarter" system, with the summer being the fourth quarter, but this just means that each quarter is basically a trimester. In a human pregnancy, a trimester is three months long, representing one-third of the nine months that a typical pregnancy lasts.
Examples of trimester in a Sentence
Lisa McCarty, SELF, 21 May 2025
In her third trimester, she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, People magazine reported.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2025
While she’s long been loyal to the blue ostrich iteration (which she’s carried everywhere from her third trimester outings to mom’s night out), she’s added a spring-y version to her closet, carrying an Extra Pocket with a wicker body and a mahogany leather handle.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2025
Boys whose mothers had polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or elevated testosterone levels during the third trimester of pregnancy appear less physically active by age seven.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for trimester
Cite this Entry
“Trimester.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trimester. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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trimester
noun
ˈtrī-ˌ
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