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 of afternoon

• evening
• age
• autumn
• twilight

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 detective’s version of what Troy said that afternoon, however, would in time be hotly contested. —Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026

Nanos and Janke shared few details about the shooting or Schlegel's criminal past during an afternoon news conference at the Sheriff's Department in Tucson. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 28 Jan. 2026

The chaotic incident began to unfold in Davie on Tuesday afternoon. —Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026

Monday games in Atlanta and Charlotte were moved to the afternoon as the storm was still impacting travel throughout the region. —Mike Fore, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026

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

Rhymes for afternoon

• forenoon
• honeymoon
• laocoon
• opportune
• pantaloon
• picayune
• tablespoon
• attune
• baboon
• balloon
• bassoon
• buffoon

Kids Definition

afternoon

noun

af·​ter·​noon ˌaf-tər-ˈnün 

: the part of day between noon and sunset

afternoon adjective