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

Urbina Ruiz was “always there for anyone in need and ready to help,” the family wrote in the GoFundMe, which had raised almost $25,000 as of Thursday afternoon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Shares of Alphabet are down 1.4% on Thursday afternoon.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

His second-placed side won at Birmingham Phoenix on Saturday afternoon and defeated Southern Brave in Cardiff on Monday evening, before losing to Manchester Super Giants on Wednesday afternoon.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

She remained in custody Wednesday afternoon, it said, noting officers had seized a pair of scissors at the scene.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

“I must first tell you that we’ve had some unexpected company at the Beje. First it was a single woman, then a couple, when I got back this afternoon, another couple.”

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

European authorities issued health warnings, battled wildfires and urged people to avoid outdoor activities during afternoons.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

Premium services like NFL Sunday Ticket, which carries all out-of-market games on Sunday afternoons, start at $240 a year and can exceed $500 in some configurations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 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

His father was a Southern Baptist minister, and his Sunday morning sermons were broadcast on the radio in the afternoons.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

The days of them spending leisurely afternoons in the library before a roaring fire and dinners in the dining room with friends and family were long gone.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland