noon

noun

ˈnün How to pronounce noon (audio)
Synonyms of noonnext
1
: midday
specifically : 12 o'clock at midday
2
archaic : midnight
—used chiefly in the phrase noon of night
3
: the highest point

Synonyms of noon

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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.
In some cities, air quality often doesn’t return to normal until around noon the next day. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 4 July 2026 Around noon, employers urged Kansans working in downtown KCMO to return home in case the bridges washed out. — Kansas City Public Library Staff, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026 Admission to the event is not ticketed, and folks looking to get prime fireworks seating can sign up on Friday at noon for the early entry waitlist, available on the Town Center website. — Camila Pedrosa july 2, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026 Argentina advances to face Egypt — the winner over Australia on penalty kicks Friday — in the round of 16 at noon Tuesday at Atlanta Stadium. — Rod Beard, AJC.com, 4 July 2026 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

Phrases Containing noon

Rhymes for noon

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Browse Nearby Words

noology
noon
noonday
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Cite this Entry

“Noon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noon. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

noon

noun
ˈnün How to pronounce noon (audio)
: 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

Nglish: Translation of noon for Spanish Speakers

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