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

The 23rd season of Real Time will run until November 21, A.K.A. halfway until the midterm elections that could prove a minefield for both Trump and Bass. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have used a distortion in space to reveal over 40 individual stars in a galaxy 6.5 billion light-years from the Milky Way—halfway back to the beginning of the universe. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025

Adjective

Ideally situated near the halfway point of Montauk Highway, Topping Rose House is equidistant from the best shopping, cafés, museums, galleries, and restaurants that the East End has to offer. —Ariel Okin, Vogue, 22 Jan. 2025

Past the halfway point, the Suns are now 21-21, tied for 10th in the West. —Fred Katz, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025

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