autumn

noun

au·​tumn ˈȯ-təm 

1

: the season between summer and winter comprising in the northern hemisphere usually the months of September, October, and November or as reckoned astronomically extending from the September equinox to the December solstice

called also fall

2

: a period of maturity or incipient decline

in the autumn of life

Synonyms of autumn

• age
• afternoon
• twilight
• evening
• winter

Examples of autumn in a Sentence

in the autumn of last year

a magnificent New England autumn

She went off to college in the autumn of 1999.

When autumn came he planted grass.

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, in Japan, Toyota plans to begin accepting sales negotiations through its GR smartphone app in autumn 2026, with customer deliveries scheduled for 2027. —Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026

The sky was that deep, unknowable blue of late autumn. —Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

Typical El Nino impacts across the United States Impacts from El Nino, similar to La Nina, tend to be most consistent and pronounced from late autumn through early spring following the event’s onset, NOAA says. —Daniel Peck, ABC News, 11 June 2026

Keeping compost and trash bins closed tight, raking up windfallen fruit, removing old produce in autumn, and covering developing fruit with fruit protection bags during the growing season reduces food resources and may encourage wasps to move elsewhere. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English autumpne, borrowed from Anglo-French autompne, borrowed from Latin autumnus (also an adjective, "autumnal"), perhaps a borrowing from Etruscan

Note: Ernout and Meillet (Dictionaire étymologique de la langue latine) regard an Etruscan origin as definite ("sans doute") and compare the form to Vertumnus/Vortumnus, claimed by Varro to be an Etruscan god. (The Romans regarded Vertumnus as a god of the changing seasons, by association with the verb vertere "to turn.")

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing autumn

• autumn crocus

Rhymes for autumn

• bottom
• scrotum

Kids Definition

autumn

noun

au·​tumn ˈȯt-əm 

1

: the season between summer and winter including in the northern hemisphere usually the months of September, October, and November

called also fall

2

: a time late in an existence

in the autumn of life

autumnal

ȯ-ˈtəm-nəl 

adjective