Meaning & use
semifinal
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
One of two matches or rounds that decide which players or teams will go on to compete in the final.
Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural 'semifinals' for the pair of matches.
Patterns
- reach the semifinal
- play in a semifinal
- lose in the semifinal
She reached the semifinal of the tennis tournament but lost in three sets.
The two semifinals will be played on Saturday afternoon.
Our team was knocked out in the semifinal by the eventual champions.
Word forms
| plural | semifinals |
|---|
Common combinations
- reach the semifinal
- They need to win today to reach the semifinal.
- play in the semifinal
- He played in the semifinal despite a knee injury.
- semifinal match
- The semifinal match lasted over three hours.
- lose in the semifinal
- They lost in the semifinal to the top-seeded team.
Synonyms and how they differ
- last four
- Informal way to refer to the semifinal stage, focusing on the four remaining competitors rather than the match itself.
- semis
- Informal short form, common in sports talk but not suitable for formal writing.
Word family
- final noun
- The last match or round that decides the winner.
- quarterfinal noun
- The round before the semifinal, with eight competitors.
Commonly confused: semifinal or quarterfinal?
semifinal vs quarterfinal
A quarterfinal comes before a semifinal and has eight players or teams; a semifinal has four.
Practice
Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The winner of each _____ will play in the final.'?
Choose one answer.
'Semifinal' fits because the winners of the two semifinals go on to the final. 'Quarterfinal' is wrong because its winners go to the semifinal, not directly to the final.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “semifinal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.