halve

verb

ˈhav 

ˈhäv

halved; halving

transitive verb

1

a

: to divide into two equal parts

b

: to reduce to one half

halving the present cost

c

: to share equally

2

golf : to play (a hole, round, or match) in the same number of strokes as one's opponent

I lost the next two holes to pars, then halved the fourth by missing an easy putt.

—David Owen

Examples of halve in a Sentence

The store is halving the price of many summer items.

Recent Examples on the Web

The coalition of state and local leaders intends to halve emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050, while boosting resilience amid climate challenges. —Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 21 Mar. 2025

The department on Tuesday announced layoffs of more than 1,300 people as part of an effort to halve the agency's staff. —Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025

That pushed the airline to roughly halve its forecast for revenue growth in the first three months of 2025, down to a range of 3% to 4% from a range of 7% to 9%. —Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2025

With unchecked climate change poised to halve global GDP in decades, security now hinges on rethinking energy itself—starting with the military. —Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from half half

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for halve

• calve
• have
• nav
• mohave

Kids Definition

halve

verb

ˈhav 

ˈhȧv

halved; halving

1

: to divide into two halves

2

: to reduce to one half

halving the cost