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

See Examples For:

noon

As of Friday noon, public broadcaster NHK reported an additional two people died, putting the total death toll at six.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Saturn's powerful rotation appears to "drag" the cusp away from noon.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

Shortly before noon, Clarke used a megaphone to read aloud the names of the dozens who have died.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

In 2025-26, the WSL replaced the Sunday 18:45 kick-off time with more noon matches, but this also proved unpopular.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

“True. But I like pizza. Anyhow, I gotta risk it. It’s the only way I can pay the Hetsnickle. Friday at noon, right? I’ll be there on the pipe.”

From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins