What does "dinner" mean?
The main meal of the day, often eaten in the evening.
Dinner
/ˈdɪnə/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The main meal of the day, often eaten in the evening.
- Grammar: dinner is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: dinner party, alfresco meal, ball, banquet.
- Useful contrasts: breakfast, breakfasts, businesslike.
- Usage evidence: During summer breaks, I ate dinner at midnight.
How to use "dinner"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dinner" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dinner" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dinner" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dinner" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dinner" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dinner party" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dinner", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The main meal of the day, often eaten in the evening. countable, uncountable
"1993, Mark Berry as "King Harkinian", a character in Animation Magic, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, Philips Interactive Media (publ.). I wonder what's for dinner."
- 2 the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday wordnet
- 3 An evening meal. countable, uncountable
"I had some friends to dinner two nights ago."
- 4 a party of people assembled to have dinner together wordnet
- 5 A midday meal (in a context in which the evening meal is called supper or tea). countable, uncountable
"At twilight in the summer[…]the mice come out. They[…]eat the luncheon crumbs. Mr. Checkley, for instance, always brought his dinner in a paper parcel in his coat-tail pocket, and ate it when so disposed, sprinkling crumbs lavishly[…]on the floor."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A meal given to an animal. countable, uncountable
"Give the dog its dinner."
- 7 A formal meal for many people eaten for a special occasion. countable, uncountable
"My family gathers twice a year, namely at Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners."
- 8 The food provided or consumed at any such meal. uncountable
Verb
- 1 To eat a dinner; to dine. intransitive
"Once I was geared up, I joined him on the wide, flat seat of the sled which was loaded up with hot food for the jacks who were dinnering out since they worked a forty far from the camp."
- 2 To provide (someone) with a dinner; to dine. transitive
"1887, Caroline Emily Cameron, A Devout Lover, London: F.V. White & Co., Volume 1, Chapter 11, p. 181, She had taken her about to concerts and exhibitions—she had dinnered her at the Colonies, and suppered her at the New Club."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"During summer breaks, I ate dinner at midnight."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dinner"?
Common synonyms include: dinner party, alfresco meal, ball, banquet, banquet, banquets.
How do you use "dinner" in a sentence?
During summer breaks, I ate dinner at midnight.
How do you pronounce "dinner"?
Pronounced /ˈdɪnə/.
Etymology
From Middle English dyner, from Old French disner (“lunch”, but originally “breakfast”), (modern French dîner), from Vulgar Latin *disiūnō, *disiūnāre from Latin dis- + iēiūnō (“to break the fast”).