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

In February, the Bank of England halved the U.K.’s growth projection for 2025 from 1.5% to 0.75%, warning of an uncertain global economic outlook and a sharp uptick in inflation later this year on the back of higher energy and water bills. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025

Amid the uncertainty, Mexico’s central bank halved its growth forecast, and business leaders acknowledged that sixty billion dollars’ worth of investments were frozen. —Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025

The Trump administration’s policies could further influence the bitcoin market as the current halving cycle could possibly end in early 2026. —Leigh Cuen, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025

Taiwan’s conscription pool is projected to halve by 2050. —Michael Beckley, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 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