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
Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 19 Sep. 2025
Darker days heading into winter Because our hemisphere is exposed to the sun's rays less directly because of the Earth's tilt, days will become darker and shorter as the winter months approach.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
During the autumn equinox, the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere receive about the same amount of sunlight since neither hemisphere is tilted more toward or away from the sun, the almanac said.
—Hannah Poukish
september 18, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2025
American presidents, adopting a generous and indulgent approach, often did little or nothing to oppose Chinese bad acts in the hemisphere.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 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 24 Sep. 2025.
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