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

Lionel Messi had two assists, deftly helping Argentina’s attack pick apart England’s defense during a 2-1 World Cup semifinal win in Atlanta on Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 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

The Argentine squad — reigning world champions led by seemingly ageless superstar Lionel Messi — faces off Wednesday in a semifinal match against England.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

Spain’s formidable defense helped it smother a France team that looked invincible before wilting during a 2-0 World Cup semifinal loss Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

Almost in spite of their terrible mascot name, our section semifinal opponents—the Castleberry Crabs—are good.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone

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

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

Zidane now inherits a team that reached the semifinals of the World Cup and lit up the tournament with an attack that included Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, and Michael Olise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 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

Our beloved football team loses the state semifinals, which concludes my inaugural varsity cheerleading season at Decatur High.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone