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

But royal sources say Prince Harry and Meghan were made aware of the letter, sent on Monday afternoon, before it was made public.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

“I’m not a visionary,” the actor and activist said during an interview on a scorching July afternoon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Rising oil prices weighed on market sentiment in afternoon European trade after the U.S. and Iran increased efforts to control the Strait of Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

The last time I went, on a packed Sunday afternoon, there was a small but persistent crowd hovering around the tables waiting for seats.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

“Come for your clock tomorrow afternoon and I’ll hope to have good news.”

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

I would not trade a single one of those afternoons.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

“They’re very content spending the afternoons just sitting in the pool,” the 37-year-old Massachusetts resident said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 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

Richard was also supposed to spend his afternoons making tinctures for Mother, but he almost never did.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover