Afternoon: Definition, Examples, and Common Usage

Meaning 1：time between noon and evening (afternoon)

afternoon 🔊

/ˌæftərˈnuːn/

The time between noon and evening, from about 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Afternoon scene with sunlight streaming into a cozy living room

time between noon and evening 🔊

➕

/taɪm bɪˈtwiːn nuːn ænd ˈiːvnɪŋ/

The period of the day from approximately 12:00 p.m. (noon) to around 6:00 p.m. (evening).

📁 Category：Time & Dates 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

After + noon. 'After' means later in time, and 'noon' comes from Latin 'nona hora' (ninth hour).

💡 Mnemonic

Think: 'After' the clock strikes 12 (noon), the rest of the day is 'afternoon'.

📖 Example

I love taking a short nap in the afternoon; it helps me feel refreshed for the rest of the day. 🔊 I love taking a short nap in the afternoon; it helps me feel refreshed for the rest of the day.

🔗 Collocations

afternoon nap – A short sleep taken during the afternoon

afternoon tea – A light meal or snack eaten in the late afternoon

afternoon sun – The sunlight that occurs in the afternoon, often golden and warm

🔄 Synonyms

p.m. (abbreviation) – Abbreviation for 'post meridiem', meaning the period after midday until midnight

post meridiem (n.) – Formal Latin term for the time after noon

🚫 Antonyms

morning (n.) – The time from sunrise to noon

night (n.) – The time from evening to midnight (or dawn)

🌱 Derivatives

afternoons (adv.) – During the afternoon; regularly in the afternoon

📖 Cultural Story

In medieval times, 'after none' referred to the period following the ninth hour (about 3 p.m.), but later shifted to mean the entire time from noon to evening.