# afternoon

Pronunciation: US say "af-tur-NOON" /ˌæf.tɚˈnun/; UK say "ahf-tuh-NOON" /ˌɑːf.təˈnuːn/

## Noun

1. The part of the day lasting from noon or lunchtime until evening or sunset.
   - Simple: The time of day between noon and the evening.
   - _The meeting ran late into the afternoon._
   - _On long summer afternoons the children played outside until supper._
4. The later part of something, often suggesting a stage marked by decline.
   - Simple: The later part of something, often when it is getting weaker.
   - _She wrote her finest poetry in the afternoon of her career._
   - _By the afternoon of the empire, its borders had begun to crumble._
5. A social gathering or party that takes place in the afternoon. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A party or get-together held in the afternoon.
   - _To raise money for the animal shelter, the neighbors organized a charity afternoon with a raffle, live music, and homemade cakes._
   - _Their charity afternoons raised thousands for the local hospital each year._

## Interjection

3. Ellipsis of good afternoon. — Ellipsis of good afternoon.
   - Simple: Short way of saying good afternoon. Use it as a greeting in the middle part of the day.
   - _"Afternoon," the postman called, handing over the parcel._
   - _She breezed past with a cheerful "Afternoon" and disappeared into the office._

## Adverb

2. During the afternoon, as the time at which something happens. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: During the part of the day after noon.

## Origin

From Middle English afternone (after-non), formed from after- combined with noon.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/afternoon (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).