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

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Etymology

Origin of semifinal

First recorded in 1880–85; semi- + final

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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

Shelton and Tiafoe are also the first Black American men to meet in a major semifinal in tennis’s Open Era.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 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

Stan lost a closely fought semifinal match to the Argentinian, Guillermo Vilas, but he and Lutz handily won the doubles crown.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Lancers are motivated to avenge their defeat to JSerra in the semifinals of the Chargers Invitational on Aug. 15.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

Frances Tiafoe Friday night in the semifinals of the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

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

Defending champion Palisades and Taft, which lost to the Dolphins in the Open Division semifinals last fall, are the preseason favorites in the City Section.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

I should be putting on my uniform, stretching, getting ready to play in the county semifinals.

From "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander

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