semi

¹ American  

[sem-ee, sem-ahy] / ˈsɛm i, ˈsɛm aɪ /

noun

Informal.

1. semitrailer.

2. Often semifinal.

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semi- ² American  

1. a combining form borrowed from Latin, meaning “half,” freely prefixed to English words of any origin, now sometimes with the senses “partially,” “incompletely,” “somewhat”.

   semiautomatic; semidetached; semimonthly; semisophisticated.

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semi- ¹ British  

prefix

1. half Compare demi- hemi-

   semicircle

2. partially, partly, not completely, or almost

   semiprofessional

   semifinal

3. occurring twice in a specified period of time

   semiannual

   semiweekly

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semi ² British  

/ ˈsɛmɪ /

noun

1. a semidetached house

2. short for semifinal

3. short for semitrailer

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semi– Scientific  

1. A prefix that means “half,” (as in semicircle, half a circle) or “partly, somewhat, less than fully,” (as in semiconscious, partly conscious).

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Usage

What does semi- mean? Semi- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “half.” In some instances, it is used figuratively to mean "partially," "incompletely," or "somewhat." It is often used in a variety of technical and everyday terms.Semi- comes from Latin sēmi-, meaning “half.” The Greek cognate of sēmi- is hēmi-, also meaning “half,” which is the source of English terms such as hemialgia and hemicardia. To learn more, check out our entries for both words.

Commonly Confused

See bi- ¹.

Etymology

Origin of semi¹

By shortening

Origin of semi-¹

Middle English < Latin sēmi-; cognate with Old English sōm-, sām- half (modern dial. sam- ), Old High German sāmi-, Sanskrit sāmi-, Greek hēmi-; sesqui-

Example Sentences

The semis were played in Miami, the beating heart of the Cuban exile community.

From Washington Post

I laughed, "Mocha drip with extra foam, semi dry."

From Salon

Sinner, the 11th seed, advanced to the semis at a Masters 1000 for the second time.

From Seattle Times

“Unless there’s something that is semi critical going on, I don’t take my work phone with me,” he said.

From New York Times

And if tighter Fed policy eventually brings on a recession in the second half of the year, as some fear, semis could suffer.

From Reuters

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