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

Hansen’s attorney, who is with the Post-Conviction Justice Project at University of Southern California Gould School of Law, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026

Speaking to members of the press on a Thursday afternoon Zoom call, Ballew said his team was still studying the potential downstream effects of the latest round of tweaks that have been made in the ratings-gathering space. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Despite afternoon rain, South Florida will have to deal with the heat again. — Miami Herald Staff, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026

As of Thursday afternoon, McGrane was still reviewing the judge’s order and was not yet ready to comment, said Joe Parris, a spokesperson for McGrane. — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 21 Aug. 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