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

Hochul said phased train service would resume on Tuesday at noon.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Mamdani, who calls himself a democratic socialist, went to JPMorgan Chase’s new headquarters at 270 Park Avenue for a noon meeting with the billionaire Dimon.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

On Fridays at noon at Belmont Community Centre and every day from 22:00 BST at Pomona Place in Hereford.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

On Friday, the appeal court said Manele must take steps before noon on Tuesday to facilitate convening parliament so lawmakers sit by May 7.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

The train from Lyon to Paris took two hours, and the pair was expected to reach the Pasteur Institute just after noon.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti