hemisphere

American  

[hem-i-sfeer] / ˈhɛm ɪˌsfɪər /

noun

• hemispheres
  plural

1. (often initial capital letter) half of the terrestrial globe or celestial sphere, especially one of the halves into which the earth is divided.

2. a map or projection representing one of these halves.

3. a half of a sphere.

4. Anatomy. either of the lateral halves of the cerebrum or cerebellum.

5. the area within which something occurs or dominates; sphere; realm.

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hemisphere British  

/ ˌhɛmɪˈsfɛrɪk, ˈhɛmɪˌsfɪə /

noun

1. one half of a sphere

2. 1. half of the terrestrial globe, divided into northern and southern hemispheres by the equator or into eastern and western hemispheres by some meridians, usually 0° and 180°

   2. a map or projection of one of the hemispheres

3. either of the two halves of the celestial sphere that lie north or south of the celestial equator

4. anatomy short for cerebral hemisphere

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hemisphere Scientific  

/ hĕm′ĭ-sfîr′ /

1. One half of a sphere, formed by a plane that passes through the center of the sphere.

2. Either the northern or southern half of the Earth as divided by the equator, or the eastern or western half as divided by a meridian, especially the prime meridian.

3. One half of the celestial sphere as divided by any of various great circles, especially the celestial equator and the ecliptic.

4. See more at celestial sphere

5. See cerebral hemisphere

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hemisphere Cultural  

1. Any half of the Earth's surface.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hemispheric
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• hemispheres
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hemisphere

1325–75; < Latin hēmisphaerium < Greek hēmisphaírion; replacing Middle English emysperie < Old French emispere < Latin

Explanation

A hemisphere is half of a sphere. If it’s a cold winter in the northern hemisphere, take a winter getaway to sunbathe somewhere in the southern hemisphere. Hemisphere comes from the Greek, and combines the prefix hemi-, for "half," with sphere, or "perfectly round ball." We talk about the earth as divided at the equator into the northern and southern hemispheres (or divided at the prime meridian into eastern and western hemispheres). In biology, there are two cerebral, or brain, hemispheres — also known as the right and left sides of the brain.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hemisphere hemispheres

The research was released during a blistering northern hemisphere summer when extreme heat broke numerous records and contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

South Africa's decision to leave Super Rugby for the URC while continuing to play Tests in a southern hemisphere competition has added another layer of complexity.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

He coached the Wallabies -- the Australian men's rugby union team -- for four years from 1984, guiding them to a rare northern hemisphere "Grand Slam" over England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland.

From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026

It’s also a way to challenge U.S. hegemony in the hemisphere.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

Phineas's tamping iron struck the left hemisphere first but also grazed the right hemisphere on the way out.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

To investigate this connection, the team studied a large multicenter group consisting of fifty patients and one hundred brain hemispheres.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

The challenge of bringing a new piece of writing to life on the stage appeals to both hemispheres of his brain, the analytic and the intuitive sides.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026

The biennial Nations Championship will feature leading teams from both the northern and southern hemispheres.

From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026

The new Nations Championship, which pits the best teams from the two hemispheres against each other over the year, demands more stops.

From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026

Writing arose independently only in the Fertile Crescent, Mexico, and probably China precisely because those were the first areas where food production emerged in their respective hemispheres.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• fraction