semifinal

American  

[sem-ee-fahyn-l, sem-ahy-] / ˌsɛm iˈfaɪn l, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

adjective

1. of or relating to the round preceding the final one in a tournament from which losers are eliminated.

2. (in boxing) of or relating to the second most important bout on a card, usually immediately preceding the main bout.

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noun

• semifinals
  plural

1. a semifinal contest or round.

2. (in boxing) the second most important bout on a card.

semifinal British  

/ ˌsɛmɪˈfaɪnəl /

noun

1. 1. the round before the final in a competition

   2. ( as modifier )

      the semifinal draw

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• semifinals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of semifinal

First recorded in 1880–85; semi- + final

Explanation

In sports, a semifinal is the next-to the last game (or series of games) in a big tournament. In a semifinal, four teams or players compete against each other for a spot in the final round. Professional sports like hockey, soccer, and basketball — as well as competitive activities including poker and debate — have a series of elimination rounds before a winner is declared. The very last of those playoff games is the semifinal, a word that was coined in the 1860s from the Latin semi, "half," and final, whose Latin root means "end." The round before the semifinal, in which eight teams play, is called a quarterfinal.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

semifinal semifinals

Yastremska - who in 2024 reached the semifinal stage of the Australian Open - is currently 113th in the women's world singles rankings.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

The company provided Reggie Jean-Brice with what it called a “complimentary upgrade” after his $12,500 field-level tickets for a World Cup semifinal match between France and Spain weren’t available.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Reaching a semifinal is coming within a hair’s breadth of glory, because after a World Cup final, there’s nothing left,” Barton said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

“When the final whistle blew in the semifinal, I felt like I’d written my name into soccer history by representing my country. It was one of the most sublime moments of my career.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

When he said that, he had been watching the video of the 1987 Plano-Permian state semifinal game inside his living room.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Open men’s semifinals in 2016, while Ukraine’s Svitolina, 31, made a run to the women’s semifinals in New York in 2019.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Dos Pueblos went 24-3 and fell to JSerra in the Division 1 semifinals last season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

He didn’t play in the semifinals or finals, which ended with a U.S. loss to Venezuela.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

She has previously reached the semifinals and quarterfinals at the Cincinnati Open in 2012 and 2019, respectively, and she holds a 12-10 overall record at the event.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

I made it all the way to the semifinals, which meant I was going home with a medal.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad