noon

noun

1
: midday
specifically : 12 o'clock at midday
2
archaic : midnight
used chiefly in the phrase noon of night
3
: the highest point

Examples of noon in a Sentence

The party will take place from noon to 4 p.m. He showed up at precisely 12 noon.
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.
So Cal Dance will present its annual recital at noon and at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 22 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road. Pomerado News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2025 Beyond the three stages — which also will feature drag performance and the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus — watch for the Proud Pet Parade at noon June 22 and check out spaces dedicated to teens and seniors. Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025 Motorboats picked up the hunters, and at noon each day came a gourmet luncheon. Nash Buckingham, Outdoor Life, 19 June 2025 The three members of Congress arrived on May 9th around noon. Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for noon

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English nōn ninth hour from sunrise, from Latin nona, from feminine of nonus ninth; akin to Latin novem nine — more at nine

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Noon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noon. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

noon

noun
: the middle of the day : 12 o'clock in the daytime
noon adjective
Etymology

Old English nōn "ninth hour from sunrise," derived from Latin nona, a feminine form of nonus "ninth," from novem "nine"

Word Origin
Noon has not always meant "12 o'clock in the daytime." In the ancient Roman way of keeping track of time, the hours of the day were counted from sunrise to sunset. The ninth hour of their day (about 3 p.m. nowadays) was called nona, Latin for "ninth." In the early period of English, the word was borrowed as nōn, also referring to the ninth hour after sunrise. By the 14th century, however, the word came to be used for midday, 12 o'clock, as we use it today.

More from Merriam-Webster on noon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!