Latin abbreviation🔤 abbreviation
p.m.
after noon (afternoon/evening)
What it means
p.m. stands for the Latin 'post meridiem,' meaning 'after midday.' It covers times from noon to midnight on the 12-hour clock, and pairs with a.m. Remember that 12 p.m. is noon, not midnight.
Words like “p.m.” are exactly the kind of vocabulary our English vocabulary size test measures — find out how many English words you know.
Examples
- Let's meet at 3 p.m.
- The store closes at 9 p.m.
- Dinner is usually around 7 p.m.
- His shift runs from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Where it comes from
From Latin 'post meridiem.' As with a.m., US style uses periods ('p.m.') while British style often drops them ('pm').
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