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

Two students were in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. —Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024

On Monday afternoon, Madison Police Chief Shon Barners said a teacher and a teen student were killed, while noting the shooter’s family has been cooperating with police. —Scott Thompson, Fox News, 17 Dec. 2024

European markets traded in negative territory Tuesday afternoon as central banks take center stage this week. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2024

Glass is expected arrive in Fayetteville around 2 p.m. Monday and leave Tuesday afternoon. —Richard Davenport, arkansasonline.com, 16 Dec. 2024

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

Kids Definition

afternoon

noun

af·​ter·​noon ˌaf-tər-ˈnün 

: the part of day between noon and sunset

afternoon adjective