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
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List 4
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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.
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
At the December luncheon in Omaha, the staffers’ other questions carried lower stakes; one asked if the arrival of Abel, a hockey-loving Canadian, would mean better ice rinks in the city.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
The day begins with a morning reception at 9 a.m., followed by a luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and ends with a reception at Barclay Butera from 2 to 5 p.m.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
"It's anxiety inducing to watch the actual announcements. I've done it before," she told the BBC at the annual Academy Awards luncheon.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
Taryn asks when they’ve walked back to their own merry luncheon, all spread out for them.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
