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

The way Argentina were chasing the game in the final half-hour was meant to suit his team's playing style.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Ross has a multimillion-dollar deal with Polymarket, according to a person familiar with the negotiations, and he averages a half-hour per week on his livestream scrolling through Polymarket and commenting on potential trades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

When Ngoy reached out and grabbed the Iranian by the shirt, pulling him to the ground, he drew a red card, leaving Belgium to play the final half-hour down a man.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026

Approaching the half-hour, a familiar cry went up in a small corner of the stadium, a song to stir their favourite son.

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

What was the point and purpose of a half-hour temporal displacement?

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram