afternoon

/ˌˈæftərˌnun/

/ɑftəˈnun/

Other forms: afternoons

The afternoon is the time of day that starts mid-day and ends in the evening. If you have an afternoon appointment, it's probably some time between 12:00 and 5:00 p.m.

It's pretty much agreed that the afternoon begins after noon, or 12:00 p.m., but when the afternoon ends and evening begins is a bit more vague. Still, if you ask a friend to meet you for coffee in the afternoon, she will know what you mean. You can even use the word afternoon as a casual greeting, short for "Good afternoon!" In Middle English, the word was aftermete, meaning "after the noon meal."

Definitions of afternoon

1. noun

   the part of the day between noon and evening
   “he spent a quiet afternoon in the park”

   type of:

   day, daylight, daytime

   the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside
2. noun

   a conventional expression of greeting or farewell
   synonyms: good afternoon

   type of:

   farewell, word of farewell

   an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting

   greeting, salutation

   (usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)