seminary

/ˌsɛməˈnɛri/

/ˈsɛmɪnɛri/

Other forms: seminaries

What do ministers, priests, rabbis, and children have in common? They all might attend a school that has the word seminary in its name. A seminary is a school, especially one where people train to be religious leaders.

Seminary comes from the Latin word seminarium, meaning "plant nursery," which can be interpreted as, "breeding ground." Like a greenhouse that provides ideal conditions for seeds to grow into hearty plants, a seminary was first a place for young men to become priests. Seminary typically describes religious institutions but it can apply to nonreligious schools as well.

Definitions of seminary

1. noun

   a theological school for training ministers or priests or rabbis
   type of:

   religious school

   a school run by a religious body
2. noun

   a private place of education for the young
   type of:

   private school

   a school established and controlled privately and supported by endowment and tuition