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Synonyms

dinner

American  
[din-er] / ˈdɪn ər /

noun

  1. the main meal of the day, eaten in the evening or at midday.

  2. a formal meal in honor of some person or occasion.

  3. table d'hôte.

dinner British  
/ ˈdɪnə /

noun

  1. a meal taken in the evening

  2. a meal taken at midday, esp when it is the main meal of the day; lunch

    1. a formal evening meal, as of a club, society, etc

    2. a public banquet in honour of someone or something

  4. a complete meal at a fixed price in a restaurant; table d'hôte

  5. (modifier) of, relating to, or used at dinner

    dinner plate

    dinner table

    dinner hour

  6. informal (usually passive) to do for, overpower, or outdo

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • dinnerless adjective
  • predinner noun

Etymology

Origin of dinner

1250–1300; Middle English diner < Old French disner (noun use of v.); dine

Explanation

Dinner — also called supper — is the third meal of the day. It's the main meal, the one families often try to have together at the end of the day. If you skipped breakfast and lunch, then you probably can't wait for dinner: you must be starving! Dinner has always been the main meal, but it used to be served in the middle of the day and supper was last. Now that dinner is in the evening, too, supper and dinner are almost the same thing in the United States — you might go to a dinner in honor of someone, but not a supper, which wouldn't be as fancy.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After dinner, I’ll sit on the couch before going upstairs for the evening.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

When Kelly visited Australia, we had dinner, and it felt like catching up with someone I’d known for decades.

From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026

Cupid's arrow struck during a two-hour dinner at Trump Tower in September 2024.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

I did not want to disappoint, so two days later I joined the club for dinner at a local restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

‘Sounds great but I can’t stay for dinner, sorry,’ she says.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.