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

Her household income halved, Morales, then 56, struggled to pay the mortgage on her home. —Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2025

The Heckerling discussions stressed the importance of proactive strategies, such as: Utilizing both exemptions for married couples before the exemption amount is halved. —Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

Unemployment in Russia almost halved between February 2022 and December 2024, falling from 4.1 percent to 2.3 percent. —Alexandra Prokopenko, Foreign Affairs, 21 Jan. 2025

In 2023, Bhutan’s government halved its daily tourist levy to just $100 to boost flagging arrivals. —By Charlie Campbell/gelephu, Bhutan, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from half half

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

halve

verb

ˈhav 

ˈhȧv

halved; halving

1

: to divide into two halves

2

: to reduce to one half

halving the cost