Meaning & use
forenoon
Last updated
UK/ˈfɔːnuːn/
US/ˈfɔːrnuːn/
Meaning
nouncountable or uncountableold-fashionedformal
The time of day between morning and noon; the morning.
Grammar: Can be used with or without 'a': in the forenoon or on a forenoon.
Patterns
- in the forenoon
- on a forenoon
- the forenoon
We spent the forenoon walking in the garden.
The meeting is scheduled for the forenoon.
In the forenoon, the streets are quiet.
Word forms
| plural | forenoons |
|---|
Common combinations
- in the forenoon
- She usually does her shopping in the forenoon.
- the forenoon sun
- The forenoon sun warmed the terrace.
- on a sunny forenoon
- On a sunny forenoon, we went for a picnic.
Synonyms and how they differ
- morning
- The everyday word; forenoon is old-fashioned and formal.
- morn
- A literary or poetic word for morning; forenoon is more neutral but still dated.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: forenoon or afternoon?
forenoon vs afternoon
Afternoon is the time after noon, while forenoon is the time before noon.
Practice
What does 'forenoon' mean?
Choose one answer.
Forenoon means the time between morning and noon, i.e., before noon. Afternoon is after noon, and the other options are unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “forenoon”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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