semi-

Alternative forms

• sem-

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin semi- (“half”), from Proto-Indo-European *sēmi/*sēmi-. Cognate to English sam, and to hemi- (via Ancient Greek).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɛmi/, /sɛmaɪ/

  • Audio (UK):

    (file)

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

Prefix

semi-

2. half

   semi-invalid.

4. partial, incomplete
6. somewhat, rather, quasi-
   • 1994, Eric Bogosian, Pounding nails in the floor with my forehead:

     Nothing like a nice hot ethnic dish before you go to see that semi-expensive, semi-meaningful Off-Broadway show.

Further reading

• “semi-”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “semi-”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• John A. Simpson and Edmund S. C. Weiner, editors (1989), “semi-”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN.

Anagrams

• EMIs, ESMI, IMEs, MSIE, Meis, Sime, eSIM, mise

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sēmi-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˌsɛ.mi]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˌse.mi]

Prefix

semi-

1. semi-

Further reading

• “semi-” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “semi-”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025.
• “semi-” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “semi-” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sɛmɪ ]

Prefix

semi-

1. semi-

   ‎semi- + ‎finále → ‎semifinále

Further reading

• “semi-”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “semi-”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• semi- in Slovník afixů užívaných v češtině, 2017

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin semi-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsemi-/, [ˈs̠e̞mi-]

Prefix

semi-

1. half-, semi-, demi-

   Synonym: puoli-

Further reading

• “semi-”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

Etymology

From Latin sēmi-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sə.mi/

• Audio (Canada):

  (file)

Prefix

semi-

1. semi-, demi-, half-

Etymology

From Latin sēmi-, from Proto-Indo-European *sēmi (“half”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /se.mi/
• Hyphenation: se‧mi-

Prefix

semi-

1. semi-, demi-, half-

Anagrams

• mesi, mise

Alternative forms

• sē- (in sēlībra, sēmodius)
• sēm- (before vowels, e.g. sēmis)
• sin- (in sinciput)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *sēmi-. Cognate with Sanskrit सामि (sāmí), Ancient Greek ἡμι- (hēmi-), Old High German sami-.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈseː.mi/, [ˈs̠eːmɪ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈse.mi/, [ˈsɛːmi]

Prefix

sēmi-

1. half

References

• “semi-”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “semi-”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers

Etymology

From Latin sēmi-.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: se‧mi

Prefix

semi-

1. semi- (half)
2. semi- (partially)

Etymology

From Latin sēmi-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /semi/ [se.mi]
• Syllabification: se‧mi-

Prefix

semi-

1. semi- (half)
2. semi- (partially)

Further reading

• “semi-”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10