What does noon mean?
Noon is the conventional name for the middle of the day and, in the modern 24-hour clock, twelve o’clock in the afternoon. It can refer to the exact moment of 12:00 p.m. or, more broadly, to the period around that time, as in phrases such as “before noon,” “after noon,” and “high noon.” The word is common in everyday speech, business, education, and official announcements, where it provides a simple and culturally familiar way to identify the middle of the day. Its history is especially revealing: noon ultimately comes from Latin nona hora, meaning “the ninth hour.” Because the Romans traditionally reckoned daylight hours from sunrise, the ninth hour was the end of the working day rather than twelve o’clock. Over time, the term became associated with the midday meal and eventually with clock time. Noon should not be confused with 12:00 a.m., which is midnight.
nounNoon is the middle of the day, especially the period around twelve o’clock in the 24-hour clock. It is the conventional name for 12:00 p.m.
- The middle of the day, especially twelve o’clock in the 24-hour clock or the period around it.
"The meeting was scheduled for noon, but the doors did not open until ten minutes later."
"We usually eat lunch at noon."
"The town square is busiest in the late morning and around noon."
The plural is grammatically regular but uncommon in ordinary usage.
"They often spend their noons reading in the park."
Noon comes from the Latin for “the ninth hour,” a name that originally referred to a different part of the day before becoming associated with twelve o’clock.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does noon come from?
Noon entered English through Old English nōn, which was borrowed from Latin nona hora, “the ninth hour.” The expression originally referred to the ninth hour counted from sunrise in the ancient Roman system, corresponding roughly to the end of the afternoon. It later developed into the English name for the middle of the day and became associated with the custom of taking a midday meal.
How noon is actually used
Noon means 12:00 p.m., not midnight. In formal schedules and public notices, “12 noon” may be used to eliminate ambiguity.