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.

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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

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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

He blazed over early on from outside the box then picked up a booking just before the half-hour mark.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

The Renoir Museum lies a half-hour drive from the southern city of Nice, in Renoir's last home before he died aged 78 in 1919.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

Just a half-hour before Gold Phoenix’s race, Iron Man Cal pulled off an 8-1 upset in another Grade 2 race, the $250,000 Pat O’Brien.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

“You’re not like other girls,” Tina tells Gen when her daughter asks why she can’t take a half-hour break from training to be with her boyfriend.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026

I just wasn’t sure that I could “chat” with one for an entire half-hour.

From "Doing Time Online" by Jan Siebold