Meanings
plural hemispheres · alternative archaic hemisphære
- astrologyHalf of the celestial sphere, as divided by either the ecliptic or the celestial equator .First known use 14th c.
Synonyms: celestial hemisphere
- figurativelyA realm or domain of activity .First known use 1503
Love is the Columbus of our moral world, and opens, at some period or other, a new hemisphere to our view.
1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Romance and Reality. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, pages 91–92Synonyms: sphere
- geographyHalf of the Earth, such as the Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, Western Hemisphere or Eastern Hemisphere, Land Hemisphere, Water Hemisphere etc. .First known use 1550s
Bangkok typically sees temperatures between 73 and 91 degrees Fahrenheit (23 to 33 degrees Celsius) during January, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand – one reason why it’s a paradise for many tourists looking to escape winter in the northern hemisphere.
2025 January 14, Jay Ganglani, Kocha Olarn, “59 degrees Fahrenheit might not sound that chilly. In Thailand’s capital, it’s a shock to the system”, in CNN, archived from the original on 24 Jan 2025 - geometryAny half-sphere, formed by a plane intersecting the center of a sphere. .First known use 1580s
Synonyms: half-sphere
- cartographyA map or projection of a celestial or terrestrial hemisphere .First known use 1706
Synonyms: planisphere
Synonyms & antonyms
nounHalf of the celestial sphere, as divided by either the ecliptic or the celestial equator .
nounA realm or domain of activity .
nounAny half-sphere, formed by a plane intersecting the center of a sphere. .
nounA map or projection of a celestial or terrestrial hemisphere .
nounEither of the two halves of the cerebrum. .
geography: half of the terrestrial sphere
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἡμισφαίριον
- Latinhemisphaerium
- Englishhemisphere
From Latin hemisphaerium, from Ancient Greek ἡμισφαίριον (hēmisphaírion), from ἡμι- (hēmi-, “half”) + σφαῖρα (sphaîra, “sphere”). Equivalent to hemi- + sphere. Displaced native Old English healftrendel (literally “half-sphere”).
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans hemisfeer, hemisfeer
- hemisfeerhalf of the celestial sphere
- hemisfeerrealm or domain of activity
- hemisfeerhalf of the Earth
- hemisfeerany half-sphere
Arabic نِصْف كُرَة, نِصْف كُرَة
- نِصْف كُرَة (niṣf kura)half of the Earth
- نِصْف كُرَة (niṣf kura)any half-sphere
Bengali গোলার্ধ
- গোলার্ধ (gōlardho)half of the Earth
Bulgarian полусфе́ра, полукълбо́
- полусфе́ра (polusféra)half of the celestial sphere
- полукълбо́ (polukălbó)half of the celestial sphere
- полукълбо́ (polukălbó)half of the Earth
- хемисфе́ра (hemisféra)half of the Earth
Catalan hemisferi, hemisferi
- hemisferihalf of the Earth
- hemisferiany half-sphere
Chinese Mandarin 半球, 半球
- 半球 (bànqiú)half of the Earth
- 半球 (bànqiú)any half-sphere
Czech polokoule, polokoule
- polokoulehalf of the Earth
- polokouleany half-sphere
Danish halvkugle, halvkugle
- halvkuglehalf of the Earth
- halvkugleany half-sphere
Dutch halfrond, hemisfeer
- halfrondhalf of the Earth
- hemisfeerhalf of the Earth
- hemisfeerany half-sphere
Esperanto duonsfero, hemisfero
- duonsferohalf of the Earth
- hemisferohalf of the Earth
- duonglobohalf of the Earth
- duonsferoany half-sphere
- hemisferoany half-sphere
Estonian poolkera
- poolkerahalf of the Earth
Finnish puolipallo, toimintapiiri
- puolipallohalf of the celestial sphere
- toimintapiirirealm or domain of activity
- pallonpuoliskohalf of the Earth
- hemisfäärihalf of the Earth
- puolipalloany half-sphere
- pallonpuoliskocartography: map or projection of a celestial or terrestrial hemisphere
- tähtitaivascartography: map or projection of a celestial or terrestrial hemisphere
French hémisphère, hémisphère
- hémisphèrehalf of the Earth
- hémisphèreany half-sphere
German Hemisphäre, Halbkugel
- Hemisphärehalf of the Earth
- Halbkugelhalf of the Earth
- Halbkugelany half-sphere
Greek ημισφαίριο, ημισφαίριο
- ημισφαίριο (imisfaírio)half of the Earth
- ημισφαίριο (imisfaírio)any half-sphere
Hawaiian poepoe hapa
- poepoe hapahalf of the Earth
Hebrew המיספירה, חֲצִי כַּדּוּר
- המיספירהhalf of the Earth
- חֲצִי כַּדּוּר (khatsi kadúr)half of the Earth
Hindi गोलार्ध, गोलार्ध
- गोलार्ध (golārdh)half of the celestial sphere
- गोलार्ध (golārdh)half of the Earth
- गोलार्ध (golārdh)any half-sphere
Hungarian félgömb, félteke
- félgömbhalf of the Earth
- féltekehalf of the Earth
- félgömbany half-sphere
Icelandic hálfkúla, hvel
- hálfkúlahalf of the Earth
- hvelhalf of the Earth
Indonesian belahan bumi
- belahan bumihalf of the Earth
Italian emisfero, emisfero
- emisferohalf of the Earth
- emisferoany half-sphere
Japanese 半球, 半球体
- 半球 (hankyū)half of the Earth
- 半球体 (hankyūtai)any half-sphere
- 半球 (hankyū)any half-sphere
Korean 반구
- 반구 (ban'gu)half of the Earth
Latin hēmisphaerium
- hēmisphaeriumhalf of the celestial sphere
Latvian puslode
- puslodehalf of the Earth
Lithuanian pusrutulis
- pusrutulishalf of the Earth
Malay hemisfera, hemisfera
- hemisferahalf of the Earth
- hemisferaany half-sphere
Māori tuakoi, tuakoi
- tuakoihalf of the celestial sphere
- tuakoihalf of the Earth
Norwegian halvkule, halvkule
- halvkulehalf of the Earth
- halvkuleany half-sphere
Persian نیمکره, نیمکره
- نیمکره (nimkore)half of the Earth
- نیمکره (nimkore)any half-sphere
- نیمگوی (nimguy)any half-sphere
Polish półkula, sfera
- półkulahalf of the celestial sphere
- sferarealm or domain of activity
- półkulahalf of the Earth
- półkulaany half-sphere
- półkulacartography: map or projection of a celestial or terrestrial hemisphere
Portuguese hemisfério, hemisfério
- hemisfériohalf of the Earth
- hemisférioany half-sphere
Romanian emisferă, emisferă
- emisferăhalf of the Earth
- emisferăany half-sphere
Russian полусфе́ра, полуша́рие
- полусфе́ра (polusféra)half of the celestial sphere
- полуша́рие (polušárije)half of the celestial sphere
- гемисфе́ра (gemisféra)half of the celestial sphere
- полуша́рие (polušárije)half of the Earth
- гемисфе́ра (gemisféra)half of the Earth
- полуша́рие (polušárije)any half-sphere
Scottish Gaelic leth-chruinne
- leth-chruinnehalf of the Earth
Slovak pologuľa
- pologuľahalf of the Earth
Spanish hemisferio, hemisferio
- hemisferiohalf of the Earth
- hemisferioany half-sphere
- semiesferaany half-sphere
Swedish halvklot, hemisfär
- halvklothalf of the Earth
- hemisfärhalf of the Earth
- halvklot class \nany half-sphere
- hemisfärany half-sphere
Tagalog hatimbulog, hating-daigdig
- hatimbuloghalf of the celestial sphere
- hating-daigdighalf of the celestial sphere
- hating-daigdighalf of the Earth
- hatimbuloghalf of the Earth
- hatimbulogany half-sphere
Thai ซีกโลก, ซีกโลก
- ซีกโลก (sîik-lôok)half of the Earth
- ซีกโลก (sîik-lôok)any half-sphere
Turkish yarımküre, yarımküre
- yarımkürehalf of the Earth
- yarımküreany half-sphere
Ukrainian півку́ля
- півку́ля (pivkúlja)half of the Earth
Urdu نیم کرہ, نصف کره
- نیم کرہ (nim kura)half of the Earth
- نصف کره (nisf kura)half of the Earth
Vietnamese bán cầu
- bán cầuhalf of the Earth
Welsh hemisffer
- hemisfferhalf of the Earth
Cite this entry
hemisphere. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hemisphere
“hemisphere.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hemisphere. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hemisphere,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hemisphere.
Source: hemisphere on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.