semifinal

[ sem-ee-fahyn-l, sem-ahy- ]

/ ˌsɛm iˈfaɪn l, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

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adjective

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

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

noun

a semifinal contest or round.

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

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Origin of semifinal

First recorded in 1880–85; semi- + final

Words nearby semifinal

semidry, semidurables, semiellipse, semielliptical, semievergreen, semifinal, semifinalist, semifinished, semifitted, semiflexible, semifloating

How to use semifinal in a sentence

That same year, YouTube TV went down in the middle of the World Cup semifinal match between England and Croatia.
The Super Bowl exposed streaming’s Achilles heel|Adam Epstein|February 8, 2021|Quartz
The league halted its sixth season a day before its semifinal games were set to be played and a week after the first of its six teams withdrew from competition because of positive cases.
As positive coronavirus tests mount, NWHL decides to suspend its season|Glynn A. Hill|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
One writer expects the Capitals to make it as far as the Stanley Cup semifinals.
What you may have missed in the Caps’ offseason, and what experts predict for this season|Scott Allen|January 14, 2021|Washington Post
Since then, Ohio State has lost twice in the CFP semifinals, both times to Clemson, while Alabama has made a championship-game appearance in four of the past five years, twice losing to Clemson and twice winning it all.
The Alabama football dynasty collects another title with a 52-24 rout of Ohio State|Chuck Culpepper, Des Bieler|January 12, 2021|Washington Post

It will be the first time the two schools have clashed since the 2015 Sugar Bowl, when the Buckeyes defeated the Crimson Tide, 42-35, in an upset in the inaugural College Football Playoff semifinals en route to a national championship.
Here’s how Ohio State upsets Alabama and wins the national title|Neil Greenberg|January 11, 2021|Washington Post
In her semifinal match, he joked “Now you can get to lie down for a while” in the post-game chat.
Jeopardy! Champion Julia Collins’s Brain Feels Like Mush|Sujay Kumar|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Take the semifinal for what it was: a battle to the bitter end between two proud football nations.
Argentina Drops the Netherlands on Penalties in World Cup Semifinal|Tunku Varadarajan|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Without him, and Tiago Silva, Brazil will go into its semifinal against Germany severely weakened.
Brazil and Colombia Bring the Ugly Game|Tunku Varadarajan|July 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Federer did show signs of tennis life two weeks ago in Cincinnati, taking Rafael Nadal to three sets in a competitive semifinal.
10 Things to Watch at the 2013 U.S. Open|Nicholas McCarvel|August 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
She reached the final four of the 2000 Australian Open, her first Grand Slam semifinal in nine years.
Jennifer Capriati’s Legacy: Tennis Great or Troubled Star?|Kevin Fallon|March 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for semifinal

semifinal

/ (ˌsɛmɪˈfaɪnəl) /

noun

the round before the final in a competition
(as modifier)the semifinal draw

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012