noon
Americannoun
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twelve o'clock in the daytime.
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the highest, brightest, or finest point or part.
the noon of one's career.
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Archaic. midnight.
the noon of night.
noun
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the middle of the day; 12 o'clock in the daytime or the time or point at which the sun crosses the local meridian
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( as modifier )
the noon sun
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poetic the highest, brightest, or most important part; culmination
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.
Vocabulary lists containing noon
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 period of greatest impact is expected around noon through the afternoon."
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
Hours after the blaze broke out around noon on Thursday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for an investigation into the incident, urging officials to “draw profound lessons” and “always remain vigilant regarding production safety.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Something about tomato juice before noon has always felt like a personal challenge rather than a cocktail.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
Some Trump-free World Cup: Iberian neighbors Portugal and Spain faced off this afternoon, and the round of 16 continues tomorrow at noon Eastern with Argentina vs.
From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026
The sky is turning gray, and now it feels like the rain might start any second even though it’s way before noon.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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.
