post meridiem
- adverb
- /poʊst mɛrɪˈdiːəm/
:
p.m.
- The meeting is scheduled for three o'clock post meridiem.
Examples
-
Dinner will start at seven post meridiem, right after the sun sets.
-
Six o'clock, post meridiem.
Fiction book (1999) -
She prefers to work on her projects in the afternoon, post meridiem.
Synonyms
After noon and before midnight on a 12-hour clock
Shows time between noon and midnight
Said after a time to show it is between noon and midnight
The time from noon until midnight used in 12-hour clock times
Used with clock times to show that the time is after noon
The time from noon until midnight used for times after 12:00
Happening after midday
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
post + meridiem
The phrase is a literal Latin compound: post = 'after' and meridiem = 'midday', so the meaning 'after midday' (i.e., p.m.) is directly derivable from the parts. In practice these are Latin roots that many B1 learners may not know, but given knowledge of the constituents the composition is transparent and predictable.
Etymology
Post meridiem comes from Latin words post meaning 'after' and meridiem meaning 'midday' or 'noon'. Think of the clock hand moving past 12 — that image explains why post meridiem is used for times 'after 12:00 in the day' and why we shorten it to p.m..
