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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

semifinally en · ADV

Etymology

From semi- + finally.

Meanings

  1. (not-comparable) Almost finally; penultimately.
    • Semifinally, when a pronoun is involved, the possessive case is invariable: “Dick is a friend of hers,” not “Dick is a friend of her.” Finally, despite the not infrequent questions that are raised, the double genitive is of long standing, idiomatic, useful and here to stay. 1971, Theodore M. Bernstein, Miss Thistlebottom's Hobgoblins:
    • So he was finally, not semifinally but finally-finally, finished with alma mater? 2019, William Schack, Art and Argyrol: The Life and Career of Dr. Albert C. Barnes: