halve

verb

ˈhav 

ˈhäv

halved; halving

transitive verb

1

a

: to divide into two equal parts

b

: to reduce to one half

halving the present cost

c

: to share equally

2

golf : to play (a hole, round, or match) in the same number of strokes as one's opponent

I lost the next two holes to pars, then halved the fourth by missing an easy putt.

—David Owen

Examples of halve in a Sentence

The store is halving the price of many summer items.

Recent Examples on the Web

If a reactor has been approved in one country, then it can be fast tracked for the other, which could halve the approval time (3-4 years down to 2). —Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

Next week Parliament will vote on a measure to drastically reduce funding to the Finnish Film Foundation, with Ståhlberg estimating that such cuts could halve film and television production in the country. —Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025

Feeder vessels will halve sailing time. —M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 Sep. 2025

From January 2020 through today, Intel’s market capitalization has more than halved, while TSMC’s has more than quadrupled. —Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from half half

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for halve

• calve
• have
• nav
• mohave

Kids Definition

halve

verb

ˈhav 

ˈhȧv

halved; halving

1

: to divide into two halves

2

: to reduce to one half

halving the cost