dinner

American  

[din-er] / ˈdɪn ər /

noun

1. the main meal of the day, eaten in the evening or at midday.

2. a formal meal in honor of some person or occasion.

3. table d'hôte.

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dinner British  

/ ˈdɪnə /

noun

1. a meal taken in the evening

2. a meal taken at midday, esp when it is the main meal of the day; lunch

3. 1. a formal evening meal, as of a club, society, etc

   2. a public banquet in honour of someone or something

4. a complete meal at a fixed price in a restaurant; table d'hôte

5. (modifier) of, relating to, or used at dinner

   dinner plate

   dinner table

   dinner hour

6. informal (usually passive) to do for, overpower, or outdo

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Other Word Forms

• dinnerless adjective
• predinner noun

Etymology

Origin of dinner

1250–1300; Middle English diner < Old French disner (noun use of v.); see dine

Explanation

Dinner — also called supper — is the third meal of the day. It's the main meal, the one families often try to have together at the end of the day. If you skipped breakfast and lunch, then you probably can't wait for dinner: you must be starving! Dinner has always been the main meal, but it used to be served in the middle of the day and supper was last. Now that dinner is in the evening, too, supper and dinner are almost the same thing in the United States — you might go to a dinner in honor of someone, but not a supper, which wouldn't be as fancy.

Example Sentences

It also included images from the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, at the same venue as last month’s press dinner: the Washington Hilton.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

Some former law-enforcement officials said the process functioned as intended given that the gunman didn’t make it into the dinner itself.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

He took me to dinner a few times in his snappy red Porsche, then invited me to join him for a weekend in Yosemite National Park.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

But court documents filed by government attorneys do not explicitly allege the accused shot an officer on the night of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

I thought if we had to take the time to sit down to dinner, we’d be too late to see the Case Special come in.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• banquet
• feast
• supper