afternoon

American  

[af-ter-noon, ahf-, af-ter-noon, ahf-, af-, ahf-] / ˌæf tərˈnun, ˌɑf-, ˈæf tərˈnun, ˈɑf-, ˌæf-, ˌɑf- /

noun

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

• preafternoon
  noun

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

Players are due to take part in a victory parade on Sunday afternoon, which includes touring the Champs de Mars next to the Eiffel Tower and a reception held by French President Emmanuel Macron.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

“We had 29 arraignments set for this afternoon — we’re only filing motions to keep two people in,” Jenkins said in an interview Wednesday morning.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

On Friday, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport told a press conference: "Our state police will be taking public safety operations over from ICE outside Delaney Hall this afternoon."

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

In a surprise statement Tuesday afternoon headlined “BP chair removed,” the company said Manifold was out with immediate effect citing “serious concerns raised to the board related to important governance standards, oversight and conduct.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

The next afternoon, when Brie drops me off at home after babysitting, I glance over at Dr. P’s yard and see two heads of reddish hair glinting in the sunlight.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison