A seminary is a special school where people train to become religious leaders, most commonly Christian priests or ministers.

Students at a seminary study sacred texts like the Bible, learn about theology (the study of religious beliefs), practice giving sermons, and prepare for the spiritual and practical work of leading a congregation. Seminary training typically takes several years after college. A Catholic student training to become a priest might spend four to eight years at a seminary, living on campus and following a disciplined schedule of prayer, study, and service.

The word appears in other contexts too. Sometimes schools for training rabbis are called seminaries, though they're more commonly called yeshivas. Historically, “seminary” also referred to schools for young women, though this usage is now mostly obsolete. When you hear someone say they're “in seminary” or “studying at a seminary,” they're preparing for religious ministry, dedicating years to understanding their faith deeply so they can guide and teach others.