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

Castellanos, who could platoon with Gavin Sheets during the season, made his second Cactus League start at first base on Tuesday afternoon and had two hits. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026

The snow may end as rain, with the temps rising in the afternoon. —Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026

Zaidi, who previously served as the Dodgers’ GM and the San Francisco Giants’ president of baseball operations from 2019-2024, was at the Lakers’ El Segundo training facility on Monday afternoon. —Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026

On a sunny afternoon in Arizona, Perdomo had his phone out and TikTok open, ready to go live. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 24 Feb. 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