afternoon

noun

af·​ter·​noon ˌaf-tər-ˈnün How to pronounce afternoon (audio)
Synonyms of afternoonnext
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 of afternoon

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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
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.
Her long ponytail glints a bit reddish in the afternoon light. — Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said Friday afternoon that all four Moscow airports -- Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky -- stopped flights arriving and departing for security reasons. — Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026 An Associated Press journalist saw tens of thousands of people marching from Porte d’Italie early in the afternoon. — Richard Engel, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2026 Even the afternoon’s custom table runners, made from archival fabric by FIT Menswear students, nodded to the designer’s signature ikat print, first introduced in 1983. — Ariel Bielsky, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for afternoon

Word History

Etymology

Middle English afternone, from after- after- + none noon

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Phrases Containing afternoon

Rhymes for afternoon

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Browse Nearby Words

afternight
afternoon
afternooner
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Cite this Entry

“Afternoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afternoon. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

afternoon

noun
af·​ter·​noon ˌaf-tər-ˈnün How to pronounce afternoon (audio)
: the part of day between noon and sunset
afternoon adjective
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