half-million

UK: ˌhɑːf ˈmɪljən | US: ˌhæf ˈmɪljən

Definition

  1. n. a quantity of 500,000; half of a million.

Structure
half <one of two equal parts>million <the number 1,000,000>
Etymology

The word "half-million" is a compound formed by combining "half," derived from Old English "healf" (meaning "side" or "part"), and "million," from Old French "million," based on Italian "milione" (from "mille," meaning "thousand"). The term logically represents half of the numerical value of one million (1,000,000), resulting in 500,000. This construction follows English's pattern of creating precise numerical terms through compounding.

Examples

  1. The charity raised a half-million dollars for disaster relief.

  2. The city's population is just under a half-million.

  3. The project cost nearly a half-million pounds to complete.

  4. She inherited a half-million shares in the company.

  5. The book sold over a half-million copies in its first year.