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What does afternoon hours mean in simple terms?
What’s essential to know?
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Let me explain to you what are afternoon hours once and for all!
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What Are Afternoon Hours
A colleague at work tells you to schedule a meeting in the afternoon hours to discuss a business project…
What does that mean?
In the United States, afternoon hours are considered from 12 pm to 5:59 pm.
The afternoon hours represent approximately half of the working hours or school day in North America.
The afternoon hours start at noon, when the sun is at its highest peak in the sky, and end at 5:59 pm when the sun starts setting.
Typically, during the afternoon hours, there is a lot of sunlight as the sun shines brightly.
The word “afternoon” is also very descriptive as it’s a combination of the words “after” and “noon” (clearly suggesting that it’s “after” noon time).
Keep reading as I will tell you more about afternoon hours and how you can greet people in the afternoon.
But first, let’s define the meaning of afternoon hours.
Afternoon Hours Meaning
In essence, every day is divided into different segments: morning, afternoon, evening, and night.
“Afternoon hours” refers to any time of the day that starts between noon and ends approximately at 5 pm.
The meaning of afternoon hours will also depend on the season, where you are, and your culture.
For instance, in the United States, the afternoon starts at 12 pm (when morning ends) and it ends at around 5 pm (when the evening begins).
Typically, the afternoon starts when the sun reaches the highest point in the sky and it ends when the sun starts to set.
During the afternoon hours, you have bright and glaring sunshine.
Afternoon Hour Range
Depending on where you are, the season, or even your culture, the afternoon hours could have a slightly different range.
Although typically the afternoon hours start at noon and end at 5 pm, it’s possible that different ranges are considered as afternoon.
The start of the afternoon is generally well understood to be at noon.
However, there can be a range of times that the afternoon can end which is between 5 pm to 6:30 pm.
During the period of the year where the days are longer, it’s possible that the people consider the afternoon hours to continue until 6:30 pm.
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Early Afternoon Time
What time is considered early afternoon time?
Early afternoon time is considered to be any time from the beginning of the afternoon hours (at 12 pm) until approximately the middle of the afternoon hour range (at 3 pm).
As a result, most people will consider early afternoon time to be between 12 pm and 3 pm.
Late Afternoon Time
What time is late afternoon time?
Late afternoon time is considered to be from 3:00 pm to 5:59 pm.
Late afternoon time starts approximately in the middle of the afternoon range.
Afternoon Hours vs Evening Hours
What is the difference between afternoon hours and evening hours?
The main difference between the afternoon hours and evening hours is the time difference.
The afternoon hours generally start at 12 pm and end at 5 pm.
On the other hand, evening hours start at 5 pm and end at about 9 pm.
The second important difference between afternoon hours and evening hours is with regards to the sunlight.
During the afternoon hours, the sun is shining and it is very bright.
The afternoon hours end when the sunlight starts decreasing but continues to shine brightly.
However, during the evening hours, the sun starts to set.
By the end of the evening hours, the sun has fully set and night begins.
The third important difference is that during the afternoon, you’ll greet people by saying “good afternoon” whereas in the evening you’ll greet people by saying “good evening”.
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Afternoon Hours FAQ
What are considered afternoon hours?
Afternoon hours start at 12:00 p.m. and end at about 5:00 p.m.
You can actually say that the afternoon hours end by 5:59 p.m. as the 5 pm hour range is still considered as the afternoon by many.
What time is late afternoon?
Late afternoon hours start at 3:00 p.m. and end at 5:59 p.m.
To say “late” afternoon is to indicate that the afternoon has reached its second half.
For example, if you have a meeting scheduled at 3:30 pm, you can say that the meeting is in the late afternoon hours.
What time does the afternoon start and end?
The afternoon starts at noon (12:00 p.m.) and ends at 5:59 p.m.
The end of the afternoon hours marks the beginning of the evening hours (starting at 6:00 p.m.)
Is 5:30 pm afternoon time?
Most people in North America will still consider 5:30 pm as afternoon hours.
In essence, you can say that any time until 5:59 pm is still afternoon.
Since 5:30 pm still falls in the 5 pm hour range, you can consider it to be the afternoon.
However, in some places, it may already be very dark at 5:30 pm.
In such places, people may refer to 5:30 pm as the start of the evening.
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What are the different parts of the day?
The day has generally four parts: morning, afternoon, evening, and night.
Morning is from 5 am to 12 pm.
Afternoon is from 12 pm to 5 pm.
Evening is fro 5 pm to 9 pm.
Night is from 9 pm to 5 am.

Takeaways
So there you have it folks!
What is considered afternoon hours?
The afternoon hours refer to the time when the sun reaches its peak in the sky and starts descending from its peak.
The afternoon is considered to be between noon and evening.
The noon is considered by all to be 12 pm when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.
However, the end of the afternoon hours and beginning of the afternoon hours may vary depending on where you are, the season, and your culture.
In most places, the afternoon is considered to end at 5:59 pm marking the beginning of the evening.
Now that you know the meaning of afternoon hours, early afternoon time, and late afternoon time, good luck with your research!
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