Etymology From Middle English seminal, semynal, from Old French seminal, seminale, from Latin sēminālis, ultimately from oblique stem of Latin sēmen, sēminis (“seed”) + -al.
1
Of or relating to seed or semen.
During the summer, he studied calmars at Lisbon, but found no appearance of any roe, nor any reservoir which appeared to be destined for the reception of the seminal liquor; and it was in the middle of December, that he began to discern the first traces of a new vessel replete with a milty juice.1792, George Louis Le Clerc, Barr's Buffon. Buffon's Natural History, page 126:
2
Creative or having the power to originate.
3
Highly influential, especially in some original way, and providing a basis for future development or research.
"The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" was a seminal work in the modern philosophy of science.
The idea of God is, beyond all question or comparison, the one great seminal principle.1827, Julius Hare, Augustus William Hare, Guesses at Truth:
2 more examples
The opening strains of "Left to My Own Devices" puts this album directly in the company of two of the most seminal dance albums of this decade, ABC's The Lexicon of Love and Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Welcome to the Pleasuredome.1988 December 18, Christopher Wittke, “Why I Loved Marc Almond From The Minute I First Read About Him”, in Gay Community News, volume 16, number 23, page 11:
For a seminal contribution to the economics of fertility, ....2000, Walter Nicholson, Intermediate microeconomics and its application:
Etymology From Middle English seminal, semynal, from Old French seminal, seminale, from Latin sēminālis, ultimately from oblique stem of Latin sēmen, sēminis (“seed”) + -al.
the seminals of spiders and scorpions1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC: