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

Experts—including Manoogian—typically recommend trying to shift your daily schedule before the clocks change to align with daylight saving time, perhaps by eating a half hour earlier or going to bed 15 minutes before your usual time. —Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 8 Mar. 2026

The body camera also captured what appears to be an officer providing a preliminary briefing to the South Padre Island police chief at the scene about a half hour after the incident. —Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026

With about a half hour to go, visitors eager to see the Safari Park’s new Elephant Valley habitat on Thursday waited for officials to open the space that had been under construction for more than three years. —Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026

For the next half hour, the stage business unfolds with dull-witted predictability, notwithstanding Françaix’s spirited and charming score. —Jennifer Homans, New Yorker, 2 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