hemispheric

adjective

hemi·​spher·​ic ˌhe-mə-ˈsfir-ik  -ˈsfer- 

variants or less commonly hemispherical

ˌhe-mə-ˈsfir-i-kəl 

-ˈsfer-

1

usually hemispherical : having the shape of a half of a sphere or a roughly spherical body : having the shape of a hemisphere

a hemispherical bowl

The hemispherical combustion chamber has been around since the early 1900s but found limited production acceptance until the middle part of the century.

—Owen Brady

The ground erupts in perfectly hemispheric hills that the locals call knobs.

—Alex Halberstadt

2

: relating to or representing one of the hemispheres (see hemisphere sense 1b) of the earth

… analyses of global, hemispheric and regional climate change over the last century …

—Daniel J. Leathers

Previous studies report hemispherical anomalies for seismic P waves propagating through the uppermost isotropic inner core …

—Marc Monnereau et al.

Thousands of anti-globalization protesters are expected to show up this week in Quebec as heads of state from 34 nations arrived to discuss a hemispheric free-trade zone.

—Susannah Meadows et al.

3

anatomy : of, relating to, or involving one of the brain's two cerebral hemispheres

right hemispheric ischemic stroke

Apraxia, or difficulty in selecting appropriate hand movements, is very common after left hemispheric damage.

—Doreen Kimura

Examples of hemispheric in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Just as the tariffs could lead to inflation, so too could destabilizing hemispheric trade, creating uncertainly in financial markets. —Ken Roberts, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

More than a million Venezuelans had fled, triggering a hemispheric refugee crisis. —Zach Dorfman, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024

The American Geophysical Union released a study in May 2019 that suggested the hemispheric differences were caused by a dwarf planet that collided with the moon in the early history of the solar system. —George Petras, USA TODAY, 13 June 2024

The overview of America’s current immigration problems is rooted in hemispheric problems. —Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

hemispheric in part from hemisphere + -ic entry 1, in part borrowed from Middle French hemispherique; hemispherical from hemispheric + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

hemispheric

adjective

hemi·​spher·​ic

ˌhem-ə-ˈsfi(ə)r-ik,

-ˈsfer-

variants or hemispherical

-ˈsfir-i-kəl,

-ˈsfer-

: of or relating to a hemisphere

Medical Definition

hemispheric

adjective

hemi·​spher·​ic -ˈsfi(ə)r-ik  -ˈsfer- 

: of, relating to, or affecting a hemisphere (as a cerebral hemisphere)

hemispheric lesions

hemispheric localization of function