luncheon
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of luncheon
1570–80; dissimilated variant of nuncheon (now dial.), Middle English none ( s ) chench noon drink, equivalent to none noon + schench, Old English scenc a drink, cup, akin to Old English scencan to pour out, give drink, cognate with Dutch, German schenken
Explanation
A luncheon is lunch, but more formal. You might be served watercress sandwiches and fruit salad at a book club luncheon, while plain old lunch might be burgers and fries at the diner. The word luncheon makes its first appearance in English in the late 1500s, in phrases like "a luncheon of bread and cheese." Originally it meant "a thick piece, a hunk" — like a big chunk of bread slathered with cheese. The word may have come from the Spanish lonja, "slice." By the early 19th century, luncheon had taken the formal route, and its abbreviated form, lunch, came to mean the more casual version of the midday meal.
Vocabulary lists containing luncheon
List 9
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 4
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
The latest event — billed as a conference and gala luncheon with Trump as the keynote speaker — is scheduled to take place Saturday at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026
Noem said during a luncheon with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Latin American leaders that the new bloc would serve as “a powerful example to the rest of the world about what’s possible.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026
Olsen: Well, exactly as it sounds, it is a luncheon for all of the Oscar nominees.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026
Olsen: And now we’re here this afternoon at the Oscar nominees luncheon.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026
To honor the people who had helped make my adoption possible, they were hosting a luncheon near the courthouse.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
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.
