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

At this World Cup, authorities didn’t bother segregating them, including at the potentially fractious semifinal between ancient enemies England and Argentina.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

England, Nike’s last remaining hope in the tournament, lost to Argentina in Wednesday’s semifinal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

Two years ago, France had lost a semifinal at the Euros to the same opponents and vowed to retool.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

About that record: He heads into Tuesday’s semifinal with 20 wins and just two losses in 25 matches as a World Cup coach.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

In the morning, a major league team picked me in the first round to play professional baseball, and in the evening, my baseball team had to play in the semifinal round of the championship.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

Free agent additions Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton will fill immediately roles after the Lakers lost six rotation players from last season’s team that went to the Western Conference semifinals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

First, he became an enemy of the British crown by eliminating England in the semifinals, having already fallen out with his London-based club, Chelsea.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Its captain, Lionel Messi, finished the semifinals leading the tournament with contributions on 12 goals — eight goals and four assists.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

Spain defeated France 2-0 in the World Cup semifinals in Arlington, Texas, to advance to the final.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

At World Championships, losing in the semifinals to either Ukraine or Russia, left to fence off for bronze.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad