half hour

noun

1
: thirty minutes
2
: the middle point of an hour
half-hourly 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Workshops will be held every half hour from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the Donnelly Park building. Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2025 This operation recurred about a dozen times over the next half hour. Julia Amberger, Nanni Fontana, Marzio Mian, & Nicola Scevola (tr. Elettra Pauletto), The Dial, 3 Apr. 2025 Check in on the drying process every half hour or so, adjusting the comforter to ensure that every nook and cranny is getting thoroughly dried. Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2025 About a half hour later, a 25-year-old man showed up at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen, police said. Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for half hour

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of half hour was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Half hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half%20hour. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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