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

Beach battle lines On a recent afternoon at high tide, beach activist Sara Day points out where the dividing line is. — Debbie Elliott, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026

On overcast afternoons, the sky often brightened as the evening wore on, as if the world were turning in reverse. — Holden Frith, TheWeek, 4 Sep. 2026

Ball State is selling its Saturday afternoon and accepting a few bruises for nearly $2 million. — Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Rather than functioning as another Palm Beach stage on which to see and be seen, it’s tucked discreetly behind the hotel, surrounded by greenery and striped loungers—a genuinely private place to disappear for an afternoon. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Sep. 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
• importune
• laocoon
• opportune
• pantaloon
• picayune
• tablespoon
• attune
• baboon
• balloon
• bassoon

Kids Definition

afternoon

noun

af·​ter·​noon ˌaf-tər-ˈnün 

: the part of day between noon and sunset

afternoon adjective