mealtime

IPA/ˈmiːltaɪm/
KK[mˈiltˌaɪm]IPA/ˈmiːltaɪm/

mealtime — noun

  • mealtimesingular
  • mealtimesplural

1. the regular time during the day when people sit down to eat breakfast, lunch, or

1.nounA2
Definition

the regular time during the day when people sit down to eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner

Example

In the Watanabe household, mealtime is always at half past six in the evening.

mealtime + be + specific time expression

The kindergarten teacher rang a little bell to signal that mealtime had begun.

signal that mealtime + past verb

Common collocations
  • at mealtime
  • during mealtime
  • before mealtime
  • after mealtime
  • mealtime routine
  • mealtime conversation
  • family mealtime
  • mealtime schedule
Synonyms
  • dining time

    slightly more formal; often used in restaurant or hospitality contexts

  • eating time

    more general; can apply to people or animals

  • dinner hour

    narrower; refers specifically to the evening meal period

Grammar Patterns

mealtime + be + time expression

at/during/before + mealtime

it is + mealtime

Usage Note

Often used in fixed prepositional phrases such as at mealtime and during mealtime. Can be countable (when referring to specific meal events: 'the hospital serves food at four mealtimes a day') or uncountable (when referring to the general concept: 'mealtime is a time for family'). Frequently paired with possessive determiners — e.g., our mealtime, family mealtime.

Common Mistakes

She prepared a delicious mealtime for the guests.
She prepared a delicious meal for the guests at mealtime.
mealtime is a period of time, not the food itself.
The family gathers at meal time every Sunday.
The family gathers at mealtime every Sunday.
mealtime is written as one compound word, not two separate words.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Mealtime is the broadest and most neutral term among these, covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner — the regular periods when people eat. Dining time is more formal and often associated with restaurants, banquets, or hotel service schedules; you would read it on a printed schedule rather than use it in everyday conversation. Eating time is more general and can be used for animals or informal routines, but it sounds less natural for standard family meals. Dinner hour narrows the scope specifically to the evening meal and is common in older or more traditional usage ('the dinner hour was strictly observed'). In everyday English, mealtime is the default choice for general reference.

dining timeeating timedinner hour

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • at mealtime
  • during mealtime
  • mealtime routine
  • family mealtime

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed by combining the Old English words mǣl (meaning 'fixed time, occasion, or meal') with tīd (meaning 'time or period'). In Old English the compound appeared as mǣltīd. Over centuries the spelling shifted to mealtime, and the meaning narrowed from 'any fixed time' to specifically 'a time when a meal is eaten.'