germinal

G2E1R1M3I1N1A1L1
/ˈdʒɜː(ɹ)mɪnəl/UK/ˈdʒɜːmɪnəl/US/ˈd͡ʒɝmənəl/

adjective

Relating to spring

“My upbringing was the germinal idea behind the opera.”

Similar
vernalseminaloriginativeoriginal
OriginLatin germen, germinis →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

germinal1

adjectivegerminal (comparative more germinal, superlative most germinal)

comparative more germinal · superlative most germinal

  1. Relating to spring

    Synonyms: vernal

  2. Pertaining, similar, or belonging to a germ.

    Synonyms: seminal

  3. biologyRelating to a plant ovary.
  4. figurativelyServing as a point of origin; formative.

    My upbringing was the germinal idea behind the opera.

  5. figurativelyHighly influential; seminal.

    This case was germinal to development of the theory of joint participation.

    Synonyms: seminal

Germinal2

proper nounGerminal (plural Germinals)

plural Germinals

  1. historicalThe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar, starting on the date of the vernal equinox (March 21 or 22) and ending on April 19 or 20.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveRelating to spring

Similar
vernal

adjectivePertaining, similar, or belonging to a germ.

Similar
seminal

adjectiveHighly influential; seminal.

Similar
seminal

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivecontaining seeds of later development

Similar
originativeseminaloriginal
Also see
originaloriginativeseminal

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

germinal · adjective

  1. Latingermen, germinis“seed”
  2. Englishgerminal

From oblique stem of Latin germen, germinis (“seed”) + -al.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Germinal · proper noun

  1. Latingermen“sprout, bud”
  2. Frenchgerminal
  3. EnglishGerminal

Borrowed from French germinal, from Latin germen (“sprout, bud”) + -al.

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic جِرْمِينَال
  • جِرْمِينَال (jirmīnāl)the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Basque sapadun
  • sapadunthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Bulgarian зародишен, зачатъчен
  • зародишен (zarodišen)pertaining or belonging to a germ
  • зачатъчен (začatăčen)pertaining or belonging to a germ
Catalan germinal, germinal
  • germinalpertaining or belonging to a germ
  • germinalthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Chinese Cantonese 芽月
  • 芽月 (ngaa⁴ jyut⁶)the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Chinese Mandarin 芽月
  • 芽月 (Yáyuè)the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Dutch germinal, kiemmaand
  • germinalthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
  • kiemmaandthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Esperanto ĝerminalo
  • ĝerminalothe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Estonian žerminaal, idanemiskuu
  • žerminaalthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
  • idanemiskuuthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Finnish germinal
  • germinalthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
French germinal
  • germinalthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
German Germinal, Keimmonat
  • Germinalthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
  • Keimmonatthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Greek Ζερμινάλ, Βλασταίος
  • Ζερμινάλ (Zerminál)the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
  • Βλασταίος (Vlastaíos)the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Hebrew זֶ׳רְמִינָאל
  • זֶ׳רְמִינָאל (zherminál)the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Italian germinale, germile
  • germinalethe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
  • germilethe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Japanese ジェルミナール, 芽月
  • ジェルミナール (jerumināru)the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
  • 芽月 (metsuki)the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Korean 싹달, 제르미날
  • 싹달 (ssakdal)the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
  • 제르미날 (jereuminal)the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Lithuanian žerminalis
  • žerminalisthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Persian ژِرمینال
  • ژِرمینال (žerminâl)the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Polish germinal
  • germinalthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Portuguese germinal
  • germinalthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Romanian germinal
  • germinalpertaining or belonging to a germ
Russian жермина́ль
  • жермина́ль (žerminálʹ)the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Spanish germinal, germinal
  • germinalpertaining or belonging to a germ
  • germinalthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Swedish germinal, gromingsmånad
  • germinalthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
  • gromingsmånadthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Ukrainian жерміна́ль
  • жерміна́ль (žerminálʹ)the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar
Vietnamese tháng nảy mầm
  • tháng nảy mầmthe seventh month of the French Republican Calendar

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

GlanmiremalignerMalingremalinger
Cite this entry
APA

germinal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/germinal

MLA

“germinal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/germinal. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “germinal,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/germinal.

Source: germinal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.