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

With a half hour of ads per two-hour episode, that amounts to several million dollars in revenue per show. —Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 20 Mar. 2026

Complimentary ski shuttles run every half hour to the slopes during the winter and transport guests to Main Street in the evenings, while the free city bus stops at the hotel on a frequent schedule. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2026

Pritzker, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary, spoke to supporters less than a half hour after the polls closed and with his GOP general election challenger still undecided. —Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026

Officials reported wait times over an hour and a half at the main checkpoint, 71 minutes at the north checkpoint, over a half hour at the main international checkpoint and 50 minutes at the south TSA PreCheck-only checkpoint. —Christopher Harris, CBS News, 17 Mar. 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