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

Referee Iván Barton recalls how he was assigned to officiate a World Cup semifinal between France and Spain and his view of changes that have shaped modern refereeing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 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

“When the final whistle blew in the semifinal, I felt like I’d written my name into soccer history by representing my country. It was one of the most sublime moments of my career.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

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

I advanced through to the finals and found myself facing off against Mariel in a semifinal round to determine who would fence for gold against the Ukraine’s Olga Kharlan.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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

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

The Lakers never made it past the Western Conference finals over the next four seasons, including getting swept in the conference semifinals by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2026.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 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

That put them into the semifinals against the magic of Mojo.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger