semifinal

Alternative forms

• semi-final

Etymology

Latin semifinalis, from semi- +‎ final.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪnəl

Noun

semifinal (plural semifinals)

1. (sports) A playoff in the round with only four players or teams left, the stage before the final.
2. A competition that narrows a field of contestants (semifinalists) to a set of finalists, for a subsequent final.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

semifinal f (plural semifinals)

1. semifinal

Further reading

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

Alternative forms

• semi-final (pre-1990 spelling)

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -al, -aw
• Hyphenation: se‧mi‧fi‧nal

Noun

semifinal f (plural semifinais)

1. (sports) semifinal (penultimate stage of a competition)

   Synonym: meia-final

Etymology

From semi- +‎ final.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /semifiˈnal/ [se.mi.fiˈnal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: se‧mi‧fi‧nal

Noun

semifinal f (plural semifinales)

1. semifinal, semi-final

   Synonym: (colloquial) semi

Further reading

• “semifinal”, 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

Etymology

Borrowed from English semifinal, equivalent to semi- +‎ final.

Noun

semifinal c

1. semifinal

References

• semifinal in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• semifinal in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• semifinal in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Etymology

Borrowed from English semifinal.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /seˈmi.fi.nal/
• Hyphenation: se‧mi‧fi‧nal

Noun

semifinal (definite accusative semifinali, plural semifinaller)

1. (sports) semifinal

   Synonyms: dömifinal, yarı final

   • 1971, Milliyet Gazetesi:

     Olimpiyad şampiyonu Davenport ile semifinalde yanşan Milburn mükemmel bir koşu çıkartarak...

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)