Half-hour Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

half-hour American [haf-ouuhr, -ou-er, hahf-] / ˈhæfˈaʊər, -ˈaʊ ər, ˈhɑf- /

noun

1. a period of 30 minutes.

2. the midpoint between the hours.

   The clock struck on the half-hour.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or consisting of a half-hour.

   half-hour programs.

half-hour British

noun

1. 1. a period of 30 minutes

   2. ( as modifier )

      a half-hour stint on the treadmill

2. 1. the point of time 30 minutes after the beginning of an hour

   2. ( as modifier )

      a half-hour chime

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• half-hourly adverb

Etymology

Origin of half-hour

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Arenas took a half-hour after the game to shoot and clear his head.

From Los Angeles Times

Taylor’s great betrayal comes a half-hour into “One Battle After Another,” when she disappears from the movie.

From Los Angeles Times

They hardly blinked at France's comeback, hitting them with a second try of their own just before the half-hour.

From BBC

I’ve been standing outside the pool for the last half-hour, waiting for the others to show up.

From Literature

Ireland were 22-0 down by half-time in Paris, Wales conceded after 90 seconds, and Italy were 19-0 behind before the half-hour mark.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.