dinner
Americannoun
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the main meal of the day, eaten in the evening or at midday.
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a formal meal in honor of some person or occasion.
noun
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a meal taken in the evening
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a meal taken at midday, esp when it is the main meal of the day; lunch
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a formal evening meal, as of a club, society, etc
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a public banquet in honour of someone or something
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a complete meal at a fixed price in a restaurant; table d'hôte
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(modifier) of, relating to, or used at dinner
dinner plate
dinner table
dinner hour
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informal (usually passive) to do for, overpower, or outdo
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s 7 p.m. on a random weeknight, and you’re scratching your head while staring into the fridge, wondering what to eat for dinner.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
The president said he thought the confirmation of his onetime personal defense attorney would go “very quickly,” according to a video posted from the dinner.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
Think of it as being like a dinner party where the hosts are in the midst of a tense argument when you arrive.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
At Walmart, customers in test locations ordered around lunch or dinner and tended to add other items to their Subway delivery, said executives.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Once dinner is over, Dad sends me and Arlo away so he can talk to Grandma.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
