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

When the weather is nice, there’s no better place in Birmingham to spend an afternoon than at The Garage, a beer garden known for its build-your-own sandwiches (try the house-favorite Fritz Sandwich) and local beer. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025

By early afternoon, crowds ranging from a few dozen to hundreds of protesters had flocked to Tesla locations in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Minnesota and the automaker's home state of Texas. —CBS News, 29 Mar. 2025

Sun worshipers can wile away summer afternoons at one of the public or private beaches that linea long stretch of coastline tucked between two promontories, Capo Nero and Capo Sant’Ampelio. —Catherine Sabino, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025

The Department of Justice had not publicly announced Boutros’ appointment as of Friday afternoon. —Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for afternoon

• forenoon
• honeymoon
• laocoon
• opportune
• pantaloon
• picayune
• tablespoon
• attune
• baboon
• balloon
• bassoon
• buffoon

Kids Definition

afternoon

noun

af·​ter·​noon ˌaf-tər-ˈnün 

: the part of day between noon and sunset

afternoon adjective