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

• evening
• age
• autumn
• twilight

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

Norris said law enforcement received a 911 call Sunday afternoon about a brush fire and were notified a short time later that firefighters were taking gunfire. —Olivia Munson, USA Today, 1 July 2025

Ambush began with a brush fire Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said firefighters first responded to an early afternoon report of a brushfire at Canfield Mountain, a popular hiking and biking area near the outskirts of town. —Rebecca Boone, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025

Next steps and possible timing The first step will be to have the House Rules Committee convene early Tuesday afternoon to markup the bill and set parameters for floor debate and consideration of the bill. —Lauren Peller, ABC News, 1 July 2025

The House Rules Committee was quick to take up the legislation Tuesday afternoon, hoping to tee it up for a vote on the House floor by the morning. —Caitlin Yilek july 1, CBS News, 1 July 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