half-day

IPA/ˌhɑːf ˈdeɪ/
IPA/ˌhæf ˈdeɪ/

half-day — noun

1. A day at work or school that is shorter than the usual schedule, because you att

1.nounB1
Definition

A day at work or school that is shorter than the usual schedule, because you attend only the morning period or only the afternoon period.

Example

The office closes at noon on Fridays because the staff has a half-day.

have a half-day — schedule arrangement

Mei-Ling enjoys half-days because she can pick up her son from school before lunch.

Common collocations
  • half-day Friday
  • half-day schedule
  • half-day off
  • half-day leave
Synonyms
  • short day

    less formal, interchangeable in most workplace contexts

  • half shift

    usually means working only one of two shifts in a day, not necessarily a full half-day

Antonyms
  • full day

    a regular-length workday or school day

Usage Note

Often used to describe a scheduled arrangement at a workplace or school rather than an individual decision.

Common Mistakes

I took a half-day to finish the report by 10 AM.
I took a half-day off to finish the report by 10 AM.
'half-day' alone sounds like the duration; 'half-day off' makes it clear you mean time away from work.

2. The amount of time that equals half the length of a standard working day, typica

2.nounB1
Definition

The amount of time that equals half the length of a standard working day, typically about three to four hours.

Example

Repainting the kitchen took a half-day from start to finish.

took a half-day — duration measure

Deepak booked a half-day fishing trip during his vacation in Hualien.

a half-day [activity] trip — time allocation

Common collocations
  • half-day trip
  • half-day session
  • half-day rate
  • half-day tour
  • half-day workshop
Synonyms

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1, this sense focuses on the duration of time rather than a scheduled arrangement. It is frequently used with verbs like 'take', 'need', or 'last'.

Common Mistakes

We had a half-day seminar.' (ambiguous — could mean the seminar was in the morning only, or lasted 4 hours)
We had a half-day seminar that ran from 9 AM to 1 PM.
specify the hours to avoid confusion between the two senses.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These terms all refer to a work period shorter than a full day, but they differ in scope and formality. 'Half-day' is the most common compound noun in workplace and school settings, naming the day itself (e.g. 'Friday is a half-day'). 'Short day' is more informal and describes the day's length rather than naming it as a category (e.g. 'We had a short day on Wednesday'). 'Half shift' is narrower, typically used in factories or hospitals where the workday is divided into two distinct shifts and you work only one. 'Reduced hours' is a broader term referring to an ongoing arrangement (e.g. working 30 hours per week) rather than a single shortened day. In most everyday contexts, 'half-day' is the best choice for referring to a single scheduled short day.

short dayhalf shiftreduced hours

Common collocations

Nouns

  • half-day schedule
  • half-day leave
  • half-day rate
  • half-day session

Phrases

  • have a half-day
  • take a half-day off
  • book a half-day
  • need a half-day

Prepositions

  • on a half-day
  • for a half-day

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

A compound noun formed from 'half' (from Old English 'healf', meaning one of two equal parts) and 'day' (from Old English 'dæg', the period of daylight or a 24-hour cycle). First recorded in the 17th century to describe a shortened working day.