hemisphere
noun
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Hemisphere includes the prefix hemi-, meaning "half". The northern and southern hemispheres are divided by the equator, the circle halfway between Earth's two poles. The eastern and western hemispheres aren't divided so exactly, since there are no poles in the Earth's east-west dimension. Often the dividing line is said to be the "prime meridian"—the imaginary north-south line that runs through Greenwich, England, from which all longitude is calculated (itself being the 0° meridian). But for simplicity's sake, the eastern hemisphere is often said to include all of Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia, while the western hemisphere contains North and South America and a great deal of ocean.
Examples of hemisphere in a Sentence
Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
And while it was given the honor because of its frequent sightings on preppy summer colonies from Bar Harbor to Bermuda, its place of origin is an entire hemisphere away.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 23 June 2025
The highlight was Pedro Neto scoring the opening goal (below) after a change of direction that sent Ryan Hollingshead sliding into the wrong hemisphere.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 17 June 2025
The leading hemispheres of these two moons were darker and redder than their trailing hemispheres, shattering previous assumptions.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hemisphere
Cite this Entry
“Hemisphere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hemisphere. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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