DictionaryAI

p.m.

pee-EM/piːˈɛm/

3 meanings of p.m.

Practice

  1. 1
    adverb
    In the half of the day running from noon to midnight, as marked on a 12-hour clock.

    Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins half an hour later.

    Her shift starts at 2 p.m. and ends late in the evening.

    UsageGoes after the time: 7 p.m. (not incorrect: p.m. 7). For twelve o'clock, noon or midnight is clearer than 12 p.m.

    Note

    The system breaks down at twelve o'clock. Robert Bill's Medical Mathematics and Dosage Calculations for Veterinary Professionals puts noon at 12:00 P.M., yet the U.S. Department of Commerce's Hourly Precipitation Data (1971) labels midnight 12 PM.

Less common meanings

  1. 2
    adverb
    Occurring at a point in time after death.
  2. 3
    noun
    Abbreviation of palm muting.

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Origin

An abbreviation of the Latin 'post meridiem', meaning 'after noon'.

Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 1 fact