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

Spending around an hour and a half there, Barca then announced its disciplinary measures in the afternoon in Catalonia. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. —Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Aug. 2025

Potassium levels change throughout the day because more potassium is lost in the afternoon than in the morning or at night.3 Muscle stores potassium. —Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 6 Aug. 2025

Four teenagers were arrested Wednesday afternoon in the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old during a Bronx playground brawl that left the dead boy’s mother devastated and wailing in tears. —Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 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