halfway

1 of 2

adverb

half·​way ˈhaf-ˈwā 

ˈhäf-

: midway between two points

At length the cat steps halfway out the door, showing his spotted brown coat and the stripes on his legs.

—Paul Comstock

halfway

2 of 2

adjective

1

: midway between two points

at the halfway point/mark

2

: partial

a halfway solution

Synonyms

Adjective

• deficient
• fragmental
• fragmentary
• half
• incomplete
• partial

Examples of halfway in a Sentence

Adjective

She was leading at the halfway mark of the race.

We're halfway toward completing the project.

They're only offering halfway measures, not a real solution.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Vice President Kamala Harris has called for rolling that tax rate back halfway, to 28%. —David Ingram, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024

Cut out the viewing slits To make your animation viewable, cut notches or thin vertical slits between each frame in the animation strip from the top to about halfway down. —Charlotte Hu, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024

Adjective

With Close to $5K in Bonuses The halfway point of the NFL season is full of great matchups and money-making opportunities for bettors. —David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024

Week nine marks the halfway point of the regular season (though, of course, the postseason will run well into next February). —Bychris Morris, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English half wey, from half half entry 2 + wey way entry 1

Adjective

derivative of halfway entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing halfway

• halfway around/across the world
• halfway decent
• halfway house
• halfway through
• meet halfway

Kids Definition

halfway

adjective

half·​way -ˈwā 

1

: midway between two points

stop at the halfway mark

2

: partial sense 3

halfway measures

halfway adverb