What does "luncheon" mean?
A formal meal served in the middle of the day.
Luncheon
/ˈlʌn(t)ʃən/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A formal meal served in the middle of the day.
- Grammar: luncheon is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: alfresco meal, barbecue, breakfast, brunch.
- Useful contrasts: dinner, dinner party.
- Usage evidence: It was a good luncheon, as hotels go.
How to use "luncheon"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "luncheon" 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 "luncheon" 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 "luncheon" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "luncheon" 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 "luncheon" 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 "alfresco meal" 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 "luncheon", 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 A formal meal served in the middle of the day. countable, uncountable
"Now that she had rested and had fed from the luncheon tray Mrs. Broome had just removed, she had reverted to her normal gaiety. She looked cool in a grey tailored cotton dress with a terracotta scarf and shoes and her hair a black silk helmet."
- 2 a midday meal wordnet
- 3 A large, cheap, processed sausage served in thin slices. New-Zealand, countable, uncountable
"Filled Roll (x2) 1x luncheon, tomato, lettuce, and mayonnaise / 1x cheese and onion"
- 4 Any midday meal; lunch. countable, dated, uncountable
"Have you had luncheon?"
- 5 A lump of food. countable, obsolete, uncountable
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A portion of food taken at any time except at a regular meal; an informal or light repast. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs."
Verb
- 1 To eat luncheon. dated, intransitive
"In the meantime, while ladies are luncheoning on chicken pie, or coursing in whirling britskas, performing all the singular ceremonies of a London morning in the heart of the season[…]"
- 2 To serve luncheon to. rare, transitive
"Towns welcomed us in our hundreds; M.P.’s luncheoned us, manufacturers turned out their warehouses, decorated them and feasted us; private families tea’d us on their lawns, but we were so true to our art that we always returned to—“papers!”"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
dinnerdinner party
Example
"It was a good luncheon, as hotels go."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "luncheon"?
Common synonyms include: alfresco meal, barbecue, breakfast, brunch, buffet supper, clambake.
How do you use "luncheon" in a sentence?
It was a good luncheon, as hotels go.
How do you pronounce "luncheon"?
Pronounced /ˈlʌn(t)ʃən/.
Etymology
From earlier lunching, of uncertain origin. Possibly related to lunch, q.v. It is unclear which came first. Possibly influenced by nuncheon (“light snack taken in the afternoon”). The "sausage" sense is probably a shortening of luncheon sausage or luncheon meat.