dinner

noun

din·​ner ˈdi-nər How to pronounce dinner (audio)
often attributive
1
a
: the principal meal of the day
having dinner at five o'clock
b
: a formal feast or banquet
held a dinner in her honor
2
3
: the food prepared for a dinner
eat your dinner
4
: a packaged meal usually for quick preparation
warmed up a frozen dinner
dinnerless adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between dinner and supper?

In modern use dinner and supper both usually refer to the main meal of the day eaten in the evening, with dinner being the slightly more formal word. Formerly, dinner typically referred to a main meal eaten in the middle of the day, while supper referred to a light meal eaten in the evening. That meaning of supper is still current in British English and among some speakers of American English.

What time is dinner?

The word dinner typically now refers to the main meal of the day eaten in the evening. In the phrase "Sunday dinner," dinner often refers to a main meal eaten earlier in the day on Sunday.

Why is it called dinner?

The word dinner comes from the Anglo-French (that is, the French spoken in medieval England) word disner, meaning "to dine." It has been in use since the 13th century.

Examples of dinner in a Sentence

We had many pleasant dinners together. We're planning to ask them to dinner soon. Two hundred people attended his retirement dinner.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Readers are always requesting more weeknight dinners that are easy to pull together and bursting with flavor. Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025 Wear them now with blouses and T-shirts when visiting a pumpkin patch or grabbing dinner with friends. Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025 Last month, the White House hosted a dinner for a long list of tech titans, including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft’s Bill Gates. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025 Where to Eat and Drink Located on Main Street, Putney Diner serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a cozy space decorated with warm colors, wooden beams, and a fireplace. Megan Margulies, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dinner

Word History

Etymology

Middle English diner, from Anglo-French disner, diner meal, from disner to dine

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dinner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dinner. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

dinner

noun
din·​ner ˈdin-ər How to pronounce dinner (audio)
1
: the main meal of the day
2

More from Merriam-Webster on dinner

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