afternoon

noun

af·​ter·​noon ˌaf-tər-ˈnün 

1

: the part of day between noon and sunset

2

: a relatively late period (as of time or life)

in the afternoon of the 19th century

afternoon adjective

Synonyms

• afterlife
• age
• autumn
• evening

Examples of afternoon in a Sentence

morning, afternoon, evening, and night

I'll see you again tomorrow afternoon.

It was early afternoon when I left.

She spent the afternoon at the library.

I remember the many rainy afternoons I spent reading at the library.

She doesn't have class on Friday afternoons.

It took us all afternoon to get there.

It's going to be a long afternoon listening to lectures.

Recent Examples on the Web

The jury began deliberating in the afternoon and continued late into the night. —Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2024

The afternoon concluded with velvety mille-feuilles, the perfect way to end the savory luncheon on a sweet note. —Eliseé Browchuk, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2024

Former president Donald Trump held a rally in Mosinee Saturday afternoon as part of his presidential campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris. —Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2024

In Torrance on Saturday afternoon, traffic slowed to a crawl at Hawthorne Boulevard and Carson Street, where traffic lights had gone out. —Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English afternone, from after- after- + none noon

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing afternoon

• good afternoon
• make a day/night/morning/afternoon/evening of it
• the other day/night/morning/afternoon/evening
• this afternoon

Kids Definition

afternoon

noun

af·​ter·​noon ˌaf-tər-ˈnün 

: the part of day between noon and sunset

afternoon adjective