What does half-staff mean?
Half-staff usually refers to a flag lowered on a flagpole on land. It is the term commonly used in U.S. government flag guidance.
Half-Staff vs Half-Mast
The terms are often used interchangeably, but they have slightly different traditional meanings.
What does half-mast mean?
Half-mast traditionally refers to lowering a flag on a ship's mast. In everyday speech, many people use half-mast to mean half-staff.
Which term does Mast use?
Mast uses both terms where helpful because people search for both. The live status is focused on the practical question: should the flag be lowered today?