half hour

noun

1

: thirty minutes

2

: the middle point of an hour

half-hourly

ˈhaf-ˈau̇(-ə)r-lē 

ˈhäf-

adverb or adjective

Examples of half hour in a Sentence

Trains depart every half hour.

I waited a half hour in line.

Recent Examples on the Web

Less than a half hour later, the snow cleared. —Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 2 Nov. 2025

But it’s located a good half hour from Talat Market, and is still a ride from the Atlanta neighborhoods, like Old Fourth Ward or Virginia-Highlands, where many restaurant staffers work and live. —Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025

Last month, a 2-alarm fire caused further damage to the building, which took two and half hours to contain with more than 80 firefighters responding to the blaze. —Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Oct. 2025

The American Heart Association recommends that adults get at least two-and-a-half hours per week of moderate-intensity physical activity, or one-and-a-half hours per week of vigorous activity, or a combination of both. —Dr. Cyrus Mowdawalla, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for half hour

• bower
• cower
• dour
• flour
• flower
• fower
• glower
• our
• power
• scour
• shower
• sour

Kids Definition

half hour

noun

1

: thirty minutes

2

: the middle point of an hour

half-hourly

ˈhaf-ˈau̇(ə)r-lē

ˈhȧf-

adverb or adjective