half hour

noun

1
: thirty minutes
2
: the middle point of an hour
half-hourly 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 The game was paused for about a half hour as four emergency lights lit up the corners. Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2024 Young said some of the most remote parts of the Navajo Nation are a half hour or more away from a polling place or ballot drop box. Jessica Boehm, Axios, 13 Sep. 2024 The earthquakes, of magnitudes 3.5 and 3.9, occurred within about a half hour of each other. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2024 The audio cut in and out for the first several minutes of that interview, which was subsequently ended and restarted, delaying the start for about a half hour. David Goldman, CNN, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for half hour 

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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of half hour was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near half hour

Cite this Entry

“Half hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half%20hour. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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