afternoon

American  

[af-ter-noon, ahf-, af-ter-noon, ahf-, af-, ahf-] / ˌæf tərˈnun, ˌɑf-, ˈæf tərˈnun, ˈɑf-, ˌæf-, ˌɑf- /

noun

• afternoons
  plural

1. the time from noon until evening.

2. the latter part.

   the afternoon of life.

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adjective

1. pertaining to the latter part of the day.

afternoon British  

/ ˌɑːftəˈnuːn /

noun

1. 1. the period of the day between noon and evening

   2. ( as modifier )

      afternoon tea

2. a middle or later part

   the afternoon of life

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preafternoon
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• afternoons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of afternoon

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at after, noon

Explanation

The afternoon is the time of day that starts mid-day and ends in the evening. If you have an afternoon appointment, it's probably some time between 12:00 and 5:00 p.m. It's pretty much agreed that the afternoon begins after noon, or 12:00 p.m., but when the afternoon ends and evening begins is a bit more vague. Still, if you ask a friend to meet you for coffee in the afternoon, she will know what you mean. You can even use the word afternoon as a casual greeting, short for "Good afternoon!" In Middle English, the word was aftermete, meaning "after the noon meal."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

afternoon afternoons

Mr. Xi won’t arrive with demands, but trading offers—soybeans, Boeing orders, rare-earth guarantees that Mr. Trump can announce that afternoon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

During his afternoon presentation, Schlamminger finally revealed the hidden number.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

Looking back, I suspect my father had recently begun making a little more money, because that afternoon we bought two things I distinctly remember never having had before: Kerrygold butter and a jar of Rao’s.

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

Met Police divers recovered his body from a lake, known locally as Decoy Pond, on Wednesday afternoon and Suffolk Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

Their mortification the afternoon Mrs. Kuen had reported on me.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Mornings at Dollywood were spent wandering the now-relocated bald eagle sanctuary and crafting village, afternoons were spent riding black bears, coasters and log flumes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

European authorities issued health warnings, battled wildfires and urged people to avoid outdoor activities during afternoons.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

Premium services like NFL Sunday Ticket, which carries all out-of-market games on Sunday afternoons, start at $240 a year and can exceed $500 in some configurations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

I find myself reaching for the stovetop version after long afternoons at the lake and the baked version on the first truly cold weekends of fall.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

“Some folks in the city get Saturday afternoons off,” Pa announced at breakfast without warning.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney