dinner

noun

din·​ner ˈdi-nər How to pronounce dinner (audio)
often attributive
1
a
: the principal meal of the day
having dinner at five o'clock
b
: a formal feast or banquet
held a dinner in her honor
2
3
: the food prepared for a dinner
eat your dinner
4
: a packaged meal usually for quick preparation
warmed up a frozen dinner
dinnerless adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between dinner and supper?

In modern use dinner and supper both usually refer to the main meal of the day eaten in the evening, with dinner being the slightly more formal word. Formerly, dinner typically referred to a main meal eaten in the middle of the day, while supper referred to a light meal eaten in the evening. That meaning of supper is still current in British English and among some speakers of American English.

What time is dinner?

The word dinner typically now refers to the main meal of the day eaten in the evening. In the phrase "Sunday dinner," dinner often refers to a main meal eaten earlier in the day on Sunday.

Why is it called dinner?

The word dinner comes from the Anglo-French (that is, the French spoken in medieval England) word disner, meaning "to dine." It has been in use since the 13th century.

Examples of dinner in a Sentence

We had many pleasant dinners together. We're planning to ask them to dinner soon. Two hundred people attended his retirement dinner.
Recent Examples on the Web The eight-course tasting menu dinner will celebrate both chefs’ innovative culinary styles and their distince approaches to Mexican cuisine. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024 One referenced Oscar-winning Poor Things and another person commented that the dinner looked like something from The Hunger Games. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024 The Spanish tapas bar will reopen this summer, with a larger space that will allow the team to expand the bar program and serve a full dinner menu, Fink said. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2024 Get The Recipe 31 of 32 Fresh Peach Cobbler This recipe for peach cobbler couldn't be simpler or easier to make, which is why Grandma magically has a batch of it ready for every summer dinner. Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2024 After dinner, the Chinggis Khan vodka came out, followed by the tovshuur, a two-stringed Mongolian lute. Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024 The Packing House The restaurant is offering a traditional Easter ham dinner and its full sit-down dinner menu from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The dine-in ham dinner is $34.99 for adults and $15.99 for children under 10. Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024 Included with dinner is soup, which changes each day and all delicious, plus salad. Felicia Campbell, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 The reward for the promise of our good behavior: chocolate milk with dinner! Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dinner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English diner, from Anglo-French disner, diner meal, from disner to dine

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dinner was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near dinner

Cite this Entry

“Dinner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dinner. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dinner

noun
din·​ner ˈdin-ər How to pronounce dinner (audio)
1
: the main meal of the day
2

More from Merriam-Webster on dinner

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