half-staff
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of half-staff
First recorded in 1595–1605
Compare meaning
How does half-staff compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Vocabulary lists containing half-staff
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.
On Monday, Central had a solemn air, with misty gray skies and flags at half-staff, including some lowered hours before Gov. Henry McMaster gave the official order.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
That day, President Donald Trump ordered that flags be flown at half-staff in his honor and on Oct.
From Salon ● Feb. 16, 2026
Government authorities have stepped in with official relief measures and sanctioned mourning activities, such as flying flags at half-staff and the establishment of designated condolence sites.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
He followed this with a pronouncement that he was ordering flags to be lowered to half-staff.
From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2025
Then he told the crowd that he had already contacted the White House for permission to fly the United States flag at half-staff for a period of mourning.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
