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

Harvard keeps no official figures for its Jewish population, but surveys suggest that representation has more than halved since the Vietnam era. —Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025

That proportion has been more than halved since then. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2025

That same week, a document circulated among HUD workers that was reported on by national news outlets and obtained by the Tribune showing HUD’s workforce could be halved. —Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025

By January, its shares had dropped to their lowest point since the company’s listing in 1972; overall, the stock has halved since net worths were last measured a year ago. —Zinnia Lee, Forbes, 26 Feb. 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