noon

American  

[noon] / nun /

noun

1. midday.

2. twelve o'clock in the daytime.

3. the highest, brightest, or finest point or part.

   the noon of one's career.

4. Archaic. midnight.

   the noon of night.

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noon British  

/ nuːn /

noun

1. 1. the middle of the day; 12 o'clock in the daytime or the time or point at which the sun crosses the local meridian

   2. ( as modifier )

      the noon sun

2. poetic the highest, brightest, or most important part; culmination

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Etymology

Origin of noon

before 900; Middle English none, Old English nōn < Latin nōna ninth hour. See none ²

Explanation

Noon is twelve o'clock in the middle of the day. Many people sit down to eat lunch right at noon. You can also call noon midday, and its opposite is midnight — also twelve o'clock, but falling in the middle of the night. The word noon comes from a Latin root, nona hora, or "ninth hour." In medieval times, noon fell at three PM, nine hours after a monk's traditional rising hour of six o'clock in the morning. Over time, as noon came to be synonymous in English with midday, its timing changed to twelve PM.

Example Sentences

Indio is listed as one of the potentially impacted areas, although the local air quality management district said levels of polluting particles were measured as good to moderate since noon on Thursday.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Federal immigration agents were seen in the courthouse parking lot in Rancho Cucamonga around 9 a.m. and began arresting individuals as they left the building until about noon, advocates said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Well before noon, the building was quiet again.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

Around noon the next day, Gonzalez reported Cynthia missing to the Arlington police.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

At noon the men heaved the laden boat out on the backwash of a breaking wave, and the remainder of the stores was ferried out on the Stancomb Wills.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong