half-hour

American  

[haf-auuhr, -au-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

---

Other Word Forms

• half-hourly
  adverb

---

Etymology

Origin of half-hour

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

half-hour

Machover’s brilliant new half-hour orchestral score asks AI for agency.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

Watch Katie Razzall's half-hour special programme Esther! on iPlayer.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Anyone who came was welcome to receive an amount appropriate to the size of their household, but the adult representative first had to attend a half-hour seminar covering cooking and money-saving tips.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 26, 2026

“A half-hour of hard-driving rock led straight into mid-tempo sludge like ‘Fingerprint File,’ a pointless but not purposeless exercise whose supposed function was to prove that Jagger could play guitar competently.”

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

But before long, she had said all she could think of to say on the subject of education, and the minute hand on the clock had barely swept past the half-hour mark.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---