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

The shorthanded goal seemed to wake the slumbering Ducks, with Gauthier scoring on a power play 37 seconds later to halve the lead and become the first Duck with 40 goals in a season since Corey Perry in 2013-14. —Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026

Japan’s cohort of 20-year-olds has already halved from its peak. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026

These dishes, from pasta to chicken to steak, can all be easily halved or prepared in full and used as excellent leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026

Projections for warming and sea ice loss indicate the stately emperor penguin's population could be halved by the 2080s, the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced April 9. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026

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