The title compound, C(23)H(18)N(2)O(2)·0.5H(2)O, a derivative of the biologically active compound curcumin, crystallizes with two organic mol-ecules and a solvent water mol-ecule in the asymmetric unit. Each of the two independent mol-ecules is close to being planar (the dihedral angles between the indole ring systems are approximately 9 and 12°) and each exists in the keto-enol form. There is an intra-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bond between the keto and enol groups. In the crystal, the components interact by way of N-H⋯N, N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.