semis
n. plural-onlyn. the games or matches that happen just before the final. The winners of these games go on to play for the championship.
n. the penultimate round of a competition, determining which participants will advance to the final match or event.
Our team won their game and reached the semis.
After a grueling tournament, only four players remained to compete in the tennis semis on Friday afternoon.
The atmosphere in the stadium reached a fever pitch during the semis, as both teams realized that a single mistake could end their championship dreams.
Borrowed from Latin sēmis.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Informal shortening of 'semifinals'. Usually plural in sports contexts, though 'semi' can be used for a single match.
Last updated May 9, 2026