semi

1 of 4

noun (1)

plural semis
: semifinal
often used in plural

semi

2 of 4

noun (2)

plural semis

semi

3 of 4

noun (3)

plural semis
chiefly British
: a semidetached house

semi-

4 of 4

prefix

ˌse-mē,
-ˌmī,
-mi
1
a
: precisely half of:
(1)
: forming a bisection of
semidiameter
(2)
: being a usually vertically bisected form of (a specified architectural feature)
semidome
b
: half in quantity or value : half of or occurring halfway through a specified period of time
semiannual
semimonthly
compare bi-
2
: to some extent : partly : incompletely
semicivilized
semi-independent
semidry
compare demi-, hemi-
3
a
: partial : incomplete
semiconsciousness
semidarkness
b
: having some of the characteristics of
semiporcelain
c
: quasi-
semigovernmental
semimonastic

Examples of semi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
England, who had struggled to beat Haiti, and nearly lost to Nigeria on penalties, seemed to reserve their most ruthless level for the semi. Naaman Zhou, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2023 In the top semi, the #1 pair of Anna Leigh Waters & Ben Johns (who have never won Nationals, despite dozens of pro titles together) took out the #4 seeds Riley Newman & Parris Todd in three. Todd Boss, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 Kimble and Kissinger had SDSU games in the Final Four last spring, Kimble in the national championship game against UConn, Kissinger the semi against Florida Atlantic. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2023 Preliminary investigation determined that the driver of the bus rear ended a semi in the right lane. Staff Report, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023 The semi had been stopped at a red light on Otay Mesa Road at Cactus Road about 6:30 p.m., police said. Kristina Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2023 The semi pulled over and some Good Samaritans stopped to assist to both the driver of the bus and the semi driver, police said. Staff Report, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023 Among his gifts upon retiring from The Republic was a toy semi and a lesson to drive one. Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 21 Aug. 2023 The Spain-Sweden semi peaked at 3.7 million viewers on Spain’s RTVE’s La 1 channel. Sean Gregory, Time, 18 Aug. 2023 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun (3)

short for semidetached

Prefix

Middle English, from Latin; akin to Old High German sāmi- half, Greek hēmi-

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1942, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1942, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of semi was in 1912

Dictionary Entries Near semi

Cite this Entry

“Semi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semi. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

semi-

prefix
ˌsem-i,
ˈsem-,
-ˌī
1
: half in amount or value
semitone
2
: occurring halfway through a certain time period
semiannual
3
: to some extent : partly : incompletely
semitropical
4
: partial : incomplete
semidarkness
Etymology

Prefix

Latin semi- "half"

More from Merriam-Webster on semi

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