halfway

1 of 2

adverb

half·​way ˈhaf-ˈwā How to pronounce halfway (audio)
ˈhäf-
: midway between two points
At length the cat steps halfway out the door, showing his spotted brown coat and the stripes on his legs.Paul Comstock

halfway

2 of 2

adjective

1
: midway between two points
at the halfway point/mark
2
: partial
a halfway solution

Examples of halfway in a Sentence

Adjective She was leading at the halfway mark of the race. We're halfway toward completing the project. They're only offering halfway measures, not a real solution.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
The Final Shape is also on sale, down to $30 from $50, and the full Annual Pass bundle is $60, down from $100, where that year of content is currently not even halfway over yet. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Situated in the South Pacific, about halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii, is a tiny island nation that is home to around 15,000 people—and untold billions in assets from the world’s ultra wealthy. Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Now, only eight couples remain in the competition, which reached its halfway point last week. Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 But there was only one less crash at the halfway point of 2024 compared with 2023, with most of them speed-related, the report showed. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for halfway 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'halfway.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English half wey, from half half entry 2 + wey way entry 1

Adjective

derivative of halfway entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of halfway was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near halfway

Cite this Entry

“Halfway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halfway. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

halfway

adjective
half·​way -ˈwā How to pronounce halfway (audio)
1
: midway between two points
stop at the halfway mark
2
: partial sense 3
halfway measures
halfway adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on halfway

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!