autumn

American  

[aw-tuhm] / ˈɔ təm /

noun

1. the season between summer and winter; fall. In the Northern Hemisphere it is from the September equinox to the December solstice; in the Southern Hemisphere it is from the March equinox to the June solstice.

2. a time of full maturity, especially the late stages of full maturity or, sometimes, the early stages of decline.

   to be in the autumn of one's life.

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autumn British  

/ ˈɔːtəm /

noun

1. (sometimes capital)

   1. Also called (esp US): fall.  the season of the year between summer and winter, astronomically from the September equinox to the December solstice in the N hemisphere and from the March equinox to the June solstice in the S hemisphere

   2. ( as modifier )

      autumn leaves

2. a period of late maturity, esp one followed by a decline

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Etymology

Origin of autumn

1325–75; < Latin autumnus; replacing Middle English autumpne < Middle French autompne < Latin

Explanation

Autumn is the season after summer, when leaves fall from trees. It's also the season when the days get shorter and colder, and everything turns brown and drab, but people like it anyway, for the cocoa and cider, probably. Autumn is the third season of the year, coming after summer and before winter, and coinciding with the dropping of leaves from the trees as they go into a winter rest, which is why it's also called fall. We also use autumn metaphorically to talk about the seasons of a person's life, like that luminous older actress in the autumn of her career: she's not yet playing roles in nursing homes, but neither is she scampering around in bikinis.

Example Sentences

It also faces a list of challenges, including inflation, measures from the Autumn Budget, and changing commuter habits post-Covid.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

Just down the street from the shipyard, Groton resident Autumn Gardiner rents an apartment that she’d love to pass off to a new Electric Boat employee after she buys a home.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Sinners cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw said she missed an important point during her speech when she became the first woman to win the award in Oscars history.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

“Sinners” shooter Autumn Durald Arkapaw on Sunday became the first woman to win the Oscar for cinematography.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

“I…” Autumn gives a throaty cough and signs, “I kind of miss home.”

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer