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

Back in Avenal that afternoon, they filed into the elementary-school cafeteria, passing a children’s ‘Voice-Level Chart’ on the wall before taking their seats for the rival council meeting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

The event, described as being an "opportunity for reflection and spiritual renewal" for followers of Islam, started on Friday and was meant to end on Sunday afternoon.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

On a summer afternoon, his daughters, Gabrielle and Katerina, sit at the Sunset Marquis bar, recounting their father’s remarkable life — particularly his championing of soccer and his contributions to the sport.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

On Monday afternoon, footage on social media showed plumes of smoke rising above rooftops in Sanaa after the strikes at the city's international airport.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

The housekeeper must have come this afternoon, polished the wooden furniture with lemon, and wiped the windows with vinegar.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

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

For example, throughout the 1980s the party campaigned for pubs to remain open during the day, rather than shutting in the afternoons, which came into force in 2005.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

It was one of those dramatic Los Angeles afternoons when the sky had darkened early and rain felt inevitable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

The new pacts also reflect the league’s desire to create more stand-alone games and reduce the number of matchups scheduled for Sunday afternoons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

We’d also shared hilarious moments behind the scenes, trying on each other’s makeup, giggling about boys, and coming up with spur-of-the-moment games on long, boring afternoons.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles