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

On Sunday night, Hermès celebrated Into the Horsecape, its latest high jewelry collection (called haute bijouterie at Hermès), designed by Pierre Hardy, with a lavish dinner at Musée des Arts Décoratifs, kicking off the week. — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 10 July 2026

Family dinner and movie night at home R+D Kitchen is always packed, so my sons, who are 31 and 33, do the cooking. — Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

The hedge fund billionaire has previously talked about having dinner at a table with a full roster of CEOs. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 July 2026

Wine is available for those who want it with dinner, but spirits and cocktails are not. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 July 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