evening

American  

[eev-ning] / ˈiv nɪŋ /

noun

1. the latter part of the day and early part of the night.

   Synonyms:

   nightfall, gloaming, twilight, dusk, eventide

2. the period from sunset to bedtime.

   He spent the evenings reading.

3. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. the time between noon and sunset, including the afternoon and twilight.

4. any concluding or declining period.

   the evening of life.

5. an evening's reception or entertainment.

   Their evenings at home were attended by the socially prominent.

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adjective

1. of or relating to evening.

   The evening sky shone with stars.

2. occurring or seen in the evening.

   the evening mist.

evening British  

/ ˈiːvnɪŋ /

noun

1. the latter part of the day, esp from late afternoon until nightfall

2. the latter or concluding period

   the evening of one's life

3. the early part of the night spent in a specified way

   an evening at the theatre

4. an entertainment, meeting, or reception held in the early part of the night

5. dialect the period between noon and sunset

6. (modifier) of, used, or occurring in the evening

   the evening papers

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evening Idioms  

1. see good day (evening).

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Etymology

Origin of evening

before 1000; Middle English; Old English ǣfnung, equivalent to ǣfn ( ian ) draw toward evening + -ung noun suffix

Explanation

The evening is the last part of the day before night falls, just when the sun is starting to go down. Most people eat dinner in the evening. The quiet, winding-down, ending part of a day is the evening — you might also call it "dusk" or "twilight." Some people define the evening as the time after dinner and before bedtime, and you can also use the word to talk figuratively about the final part of something else: "It was the evening of his life." The Old English root of evening is ǣfnung, "the time around sunset."

Example Sentences

He has held numerous roles at the network over a four decade run, anchoring the “CBS Evening News,” co-hosting the division’s weekday and Saturday morning shows, covering business and reporting from overseas bureaus.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

On the CBS Evening News, Connie Chung said that the attack “was similar to the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and similar to attacks on U.S. forces in Beirut in the 1980s.”

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026

Gareth joined the Journal in 2015 after working as a reporter and editor for publications including the Independent, the Evening Standard and the Nottingham Evening Post.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

"We simply can't afford that," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra, adding: "We're only a small business. We can't pass that on to the farmers."

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

“You know, I was afraid he’d begin thinking about something so ridiculous as soon as he saw this week’s Saturday Evening Post. I hope you succeeded in showing him what an atrocious idea it is.”

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller