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

It was barely noon, but I’d already flown halfway across the country on an early flight to visit my parents for the holidays, and spent two hours in a rental car driving from the airport.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

Phased train service is expected to resume on Tuesday at noon after 3,500 employees walked off the job for three days.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

It is just past noon at the crescent-shaped Palolem beach on the southern tip of Goa's long, sandy coastline.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

A sheriff’s spokesperson said deputies completed a sweep of the property shortly before noon and found no evidence to support the caller’s threat.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

A glance at a hall clock revealed that it was half past noon exactly.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood