afternoon

afternoon — noun

IPA/ˌɑːftəˈnuːn/
KK[ˌæftɚnˈun]IPA/ˌæftərˈnuːn/
  • afternoonsingular
  • afternoonsplural

1. the hours from about 12 o'clock at midday until around six in the evening, when

1.nounA1
Definition

the hours from about 12 o'clock at midday until around six in the evening, when the sky starts to get dark.

Example

Mei usually takes a short nap in the afternoon before going back to her studies.

in the afternoon (definite article required)

We are meeting Grandma for tea at the train station this afternoon at three.

this afternoon (no preposition before deictic)

Common collocations
  • this afternoon
  • yesterday afternoon
  • tomorrow afternoon
  • Sunday afternoon
  • late afternoon
  • early afternoon
  • afternoon tea
  • afternoon nap
  • afternoon shift
  • in the afternoon
  • spend the afternoon
Synonyms
  • p.m.

    abbreviation used after a clock time (3 p.m.); not a standalone noun for the period

  • midday

    narrower — refers only to around 12 o'clock, not the whole afternoon stretch

Antonyms
  • morning

    the period before noon, opposite half of the daytime

  • evening

    the period right after the afternoon, roughly 6 p.m. onward

Grammar Patterns

in the afternoon

this/that/yesterday/tomorrow afternoon

on Sunday afternoon

afternoon + noun (afternoon tea, afternoon nap)

Usage Note

Use 'in the afternoon' when speaking generally, but drop the preposition with deictic words like 'this', 'that', 'yesterday', or 'tomorrow' (e.g. 'this afternoon', not 'in this afternoon'). With a specific weekday, switch to 'on': 'on Friday afternoon'.

Common Mistakes

I will call you in afternoon.
I will call you in the afternoon.
when speaking generally about the period, English requires the definite article 'the'.
I have a class in this afternoon.
I have a class this afternoon.
drop 'in' before deictic markers like 'this', 'that', 'yesterday', 'tomorrow'.
See you in Sunday afternoon.
See you on Sunday afternoon.
use 'on' when a specific weekday is named, not 'in'.

afternoon — exclamation

IPA/ˌɑːf.təˈnuːn/
KK[ˌæftɚnˈun]IPA/ˌæf.tɚˈnuːn/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words point to parts of the day, but they cover different slices and serve different jobs. 'Afternoon' is the broad block from about noon until roughly six, the time of school pick-ups, naps, and afternoon tea. 'Midday' is much narrower — it refers to the moment around twelve o'clock when the sun is highest, so 'I'll see you at midday' means right at noon, not three hours later. 'Evening' picks up where afternoon ends, usually after six, when people finish work and have dinner. 'P.m.' is not a noun at all; it is an abbreviation that follows a clock time (3 p.m.) to mark any hour after noon. So you can say 'three o'clock in the afternoon' or '3 p.m.', but not 'in the p.m.' or 'three o'clock in the midday'.

afternoon ↗midday ↗evening ↗p.m. ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • this afternoon
  • yesterday afternoon
  • tomorrow afternoon
  • Sunday/Monday afternoon
  • late afternoon
  • early afternoon
  • afternoon tea
  • afternoon nap
  • spend the afternoon
  • all afternoon

Prepositions

  • in (the afternoon)
  • on (Friday afternoon)
  • by (late afternoon)
  • during (the afternoon)
  • throughout (the afternoon)

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

A two-part English word made from 'after' (meaning following) plus 'noon' (the middle of the day, originally the ninth hour after sunrise in Old English). The compound first appeared in writing in the 1300s, as people needed a clear name for the long stretch of working hours that came after midday and before evening. The earlier 'noon' itself shifted in meaning over the centuries — it once meant about 3 p.m. before settling on 12 p.m.