trimester

noun

1
: a period of three or about three months
especially : any of three periods of approximately three months each into which a human pregnancy is divided
2
: one of three terms into which the academic year is sometimes divided

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

development in the first trimester
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
High levels of vitamin A in the first trimester of pregnancy can cause heart or brain abnormalities in the baby or miscarriage.11 Older adults: Older adults may break down and eliminate medicines differently than younger people do. Allison Herries, Verywell Health, 21 Mar. 2025 Common times for announcements are after the first trimester, first midwife appointment or first ultrasound. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 Stunning stat: Of the roughly 35,000 pregnancies in Arkansas each year, about 10,000 aren't seen by a doctor until after the first trimester. Alex Golden, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025 My first trimester came with a lot of nausea and food aversions. Kayla Grant, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trimester

Word History

Etymology

French trimestre, from Latin trimestris of three months, from tri- + mensis month — more at moon

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of trimester was in 1821

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trimester.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trimester. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

Medical Definition

trimester

noun
tri·​mes·​ter (ˈ)trī-ˈmes-tər How to pronounce trimester (audio) ˈtrī-ˌ How to pronounce trimester (audio)
: a period of three or about three months
especially : any of three periods of approximately three months each into which a human pregnancy is divided
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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