dinner

noun

din·​ner ˈdi-nər 

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

: table d'hôte sense 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

ˈdi-nər-ləs 

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.

Synonyms of dinner

• banquet
• feast

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

Paxton was the keynote speaker at CPAC’s Ronald Reagan dinner, a black-tie optional dinner hosted Friday night. —Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026

The daily lunch and dinner menus are expansive, but the real draw here is its buffet-style Sunday brunch. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026

Fancy restaurant dinners, designer golf bags, and pricey weekend getaways are not. —Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026

After that, John, craving outside validation, takes Carolyn to a super-secret dinner at their little Indian spot, and promises to re-examine his life to make room for her. —Daniel D'addario, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026

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

Phrases Containing dinner

• dinner date
• dinner jacket
• dinner party
• dinner suit
• dinner table
• dinner theater
• do dinner/lunch
• pre-dinner
• rehearsal dinner
• shore dinner
• TV dinner

Rhymes for dinner

• inner
• pinner
• sinner
• spinner
• thinner
• tinner
• winner
• beginner
• breadwinner

Kids Definition

dinner

noun

din·​ner ˈdin-ər 

1

: the main meal of the day

2

: banquet entry 1