autumn

IPA/ˈɔːtəm/
KK[ˈɔtəm]IPA/ˈɔːtəm/

autumn — noun

  • autumnsingular
  • autumnsplural

1. the time of year that comes after summer and before winter, when the days grow c

1.nounA2
Definition

the time of year that comes after summer and before winter, when the days grow cooler, leaves on many trees turn orange or yellow before falling, and farmers gather their crops; in countries above the equator this period runs roughly from September into November, while below the equator it falls between March and May.

Example

Quinn loves walking through Hyde Park in autumn when the leaves turn red and gold.

in autumn for talking about the season generally

The Watanabe family always visits Kyoto in late autumn to see the maple trees.

late autumn for the closing weeks of the season

Common collocations
  • early autumn
  • late autumn
  • mid-autumn
  • autumn leaves
  • autumn colours
  • autumn term
  • autumn equinox
Synonyms
  • fall

    American English equivalent; everyday word in the US and Canada

  • harvest time

    informal; emphasises the gathering of crops rather than the calendar season

  • autumntime

    literary or older usage; rare in everyday speech

Antonyms
  • spring

    the season opposite autumn on the calendar, when plants start to grow again

Grammar Patterns

in (the) autumn

last autumn

next autumn

Usage Note

Common in British English; American speakers usually say 'fall' for the same season. Frequently appears with the prepositions 'in' (in autumn / in the autumn) and 'during' (during autumn). Often combined with time markers such as 'early', 'late', 'last', 'next', or a specific year.

Common Mistakes

On autumn, the leaves change colour.
In autumn, the leaves change colour.
use 'in', not 'on', with seasons.
I will visit you on the autumn.
I will visit you in the autumn.
when a specific season is meant, say 'in the autumn' or simply 'in autumn'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Autumn' and 'fall' name the same season but belong to different varieties of English: 'autumn' is the standard word in British, Irish, and Australian English, while 'fall' is the everyday word in American and Canadian English. Both are neutral in register, but 'autumn' can sound slightly more formal or literary to American ears. 'Harvest' is narrower; it refers to the time when farmers gather crops, which often overlaps with autumn but is not a synonym for the calendar season itself. You would say 'I love autumn in Taipei' or 'I love fall in New York,' but 'I love harvest in Taipei' would sound odd unless you are a farmer talking about the gathering of rice or fruit.

autumn ↗fall ↗harvest ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • autumn leaves
  • autumn colours
  • autumn term
  • autumn equinox
  • autumn weather
  • autumn sunshine

Phrases

  • early autumn
  • late autumn
  • mid-autumn
  • last autumn
  • next autumn

Prepositions

  • in autumn
  • in the autumn
  • during autumn
  • by autumn
  • until autumn

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Autumn' came into English in the 1300s through Old French 'automne', which itself developed from Latin 'autumnus' — the Roman name for the season after summer. The deeper origin of the Latin word is uncertain; some scholars link it to an Etruscan root. For several hundred years English speakers also used 'harvest' to name this season, but by the 1600s 'autumn' had taken over as the calendar label, while 'harvest' kept its narrower meaning of gathering crops. American English later favoured the homegrown term 'fall', short for 'fall of the leaf', which was once common in Britain too.