Hilary Term is the second academic term of Oxford University's academic year. It runs from January to March and is so named because the feast day of St Hilary

Hilary of Poitiers

Hilary of Poitiers was Bishop of Poitiers and is a Doctor of the Church. He was sometimes referred to as the "Hammer of the Arians" and the "Athanasius of the West." His name comes from the Latin word for happy or cheerful. His optional memorial in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints is 13...

 of Poitiers

Poitiers

Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...

, 14 January, falls during this term. All terms are dated from this day in the following way:

• Michaelmas term — 13 Sundays before to 5 Sundays before the feast day of St Hilary
• Hilary term — 1 Sunday to 9 Sundays after the feast day of St Hilary
• Trinity term — 15 Sundays to 21 Sundays after the feast day of St Hilary

The term originated in the legal system. The Courts of England and Wales

Courts of England and Wales

Her Majesty's Courts of Justice of England and Wales are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in England and Wales; they apply the law of England and Wales and are established under Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.The United Kingdom does not have...

 divide the legal year

Legal year

In English law, the legal year is the calendar during which the judges sit in court. The year is divided into four terms:* Michaelmas term - from October to December* Hilary term - from January to April* Easter term - from April to May, and...

 into four terms: Hilary, Easter, Trinity and Michaelmas.

See also

• Michaelmas term
  Michaelmas term
  Michaelmas term is the first academic term of the academic years of the following British and Irish universities:*University of Cambridge*University of Oxford*University of St...
  
  
• Epiphany term
  Epiphany term
  Epiphany term is the second academic term of the University of Durham and formerly of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne . The term runs from January to March.-See also:*Michaelmas term...
  
   (the equivalent of Hilary term at Durham University)
• Lent term
  Lent term
  Lent term is the name of the spring academic term at the following British universities:*University of Cambridge*Kings College London*London School of Economics and Political Science*Exeter University*University of Lancaster...
  
   (the equivalent of Hilary term at Cambridge, Lancaster, LSE, and Lampeter)
• Summer term
  Summer term
  Summer term is the name of the summer academic term at many British schools and universities and elsewhere in the world.In the UK, 'Summer term' runs from the Easter holiday until the end of the academic year in June or July, and thus corresponds to the Easter term at Cambridge University, and...
  
  
• Trinity term
  Trinity term
  Trinity term is the name of the third and final term of Oxford University's and the University of Dublin's academic year. It runs from about mid April to about the end of June and is named after Trinity Sunday, which falls eight weeks after Easter, in May or June.At the University of Sydney, it was...
  
  
• Easter term
  Easter term
  Easter term is the name of the summer term at the University of Cambridge, the University of Wales, Lampeter, University of Durham, and formerly University of Newcastle upon Tyne , in the United Kingdom...