afternoon

noun

af·​ter·​noon ˌaf-tər-ˈnün How to pronounce afternoon (audio)
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

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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web She was administered with antihistamines and vitamins but died shortly after on Tuesday afternoon. Emma Ogao, ABC News, 1 Dec. 2023 Sanders-Townsend and Menendez currently host weekend afternoon hours on MSNBC, but will shift to focus on the morning show. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2023 Comedian Dave Chappelle made a surprise visit to the Capitol late Thursday afternoon, gathering with friends ahead of his Washington show in the evening. Emily Jacobs, Washington Examiner, 30 Nov. 2023 As of Wednesday afternoon, Jackson had restored several Instagram posts, including those featuring Leodis. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2023 With the first signing period looming in three weeks, the Buffs as of late Tuesday afternoon had reportedly locked down just nine commits, per the 247Sports.com database. Sean Keeler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2023 After another bundle-up kind of morning, cold-weather haters can breathe a sigh of relief by afternoon, as mostly sunny skies help lift highs to the low to mid-50s. Dan Stillman, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023 The Whelan family said Paul was assaulted at a labor camp on Tuesday afternoon. Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 29 Nov. 2023 Laporta was speaking at an event held in Barcelona on Wednesday afternoon, in which the commissioner for events related to the club's 125th birthday was presented. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'afternoon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of afternoon was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near afternoon

Cite this Entry

“Afternoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afternoon. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

afternoon

noun
af·​ter·​noon ˌaf-tər-ˈnün How to pronounce afternoon (audio)
: the part of day between noon and sunset
afternoon adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on afternoon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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