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

About a half hour later, Faulkner and Sumrall embraced in the locker room hallway, one of the head honcho’s many greetings. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026

And kicking off a half hour earlier, 250 miles south, UConn will take on Southern Miss in the Hattiesburg heat for its first road game under coach Jason Candle. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026

Hundreds crowded around the Adidas store as the KU pep band and cheerleaders performed for about a half hour. — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026

Together, the 24 songs make for a stellar one-and-a-half hour long sonic journey. — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2026

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