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

• afterlife
• age
• autumn
• evening

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

Ventura is testifying while nearly nine months pregnant, and judge Arun Subramanian sparred with the defense Thursday afternoon over a slow cross-examination process. —Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025

The potential for thunderstorms will be greatest in the afternoon and the evening, with the storms expected to persist overnight. —Amy Graff, New York Times, 16 May 2025

Huntsman and Lim declined to comment Thursday afternoon. —Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025

The victim had been talking with his son, who lives nearby, earlier that afternoon. —Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 15 May 2025

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