dinner

dinner — noun

1. the most substantial meal people have each day, which in many cultures is served

1.nounA1
Definition

the most substantial meal people have each day, which in many cultures is served during the evening hours; speakers of British English sometimes use the word for a meal eaten at noon

Example

Chiara invited us over for dinner at her apartment on Saturday evening.

collocation: for dinner

What time does your family usually have dinner — around six or seven?

collocation: have dinner

Common collocations
  • have dinner
  • eat dinner
  • cook dinner
  • make dinner
  • for dinner
  • before dinner
  • after dinner
  • at dinner
  • dinner time
  • dinner table
  • dinner plate
Synonyms
  • supper

    also an evening meal, but often lighter and more informal than dinner; more common in some US and UK regions

  • meal

    a general term for any eating occasion; dinner is one type of meal

  • tea

    informal British term for the main evening meal, common in working-class and northern English usage

Antonyms
  • breakfast

    the first meal of the day, eaten in the morning

  • snack

    a small, light amount of food eaten between meals

Grammar Patterns

have + dinner

for + dinner

at + dinner

Usage Note

In most varieties of English, dinner refers to the evening meal. Learners should be aware that in British English, especially in northern England and among some working-class families, dinner can refer to the midday meal (which others call lunch). The evening meal in those households is often called tea or supper.

Common Mistakes

I usually eat dinner at 12:30 p.m. with my coworkers.
I usually have lunch at 12:30 p.m. with my coworkers.
For most English speakers, dinner is the evening meal; use lunch for midday.

2. a planned social occasion that takes place in the evening, where guests are serv

2.nounB1
Definition

a planned social occasion that takes place in the evening, where guests are served a meal, typically as part of a celebration or to mark an important event

Example

The charity dinner raised over fifty thousand dollars for the local hospital.

collocation: charity dinner

Valentina wore a long dress to the awards dinner at the Grand Hotel.

collocation: awards dinner

Common collocations
  • formal dinner
  • charity dinner
  • awards dinner
  • state dinner
  • gala dinner
  • hold a dinner
  • attend a dinner
  • host a dinner
  • dinner party
  • dinner guest
  • dress for dinner
Synonyms
  • banquet

    a large, lavish formal meal, usually for many guests; stronger sense of luxury and ceremony than dinner

  • feast

    a large meal with abundant food, often for celebration; suggests abundance and festivity

  • reception

    a social event where drinks and light food are served, typically less meal-focused than a dinner

Grammar Patterns

hold + a + adj + dinner

attend + a + adj + dinner

a + noun + dinner

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1 (the everyday meal), this sense is always countable and typically modified by an adjective (formal, charity) or noun (awards, state) that describes the type of event. The phrase 'a dinner' in this sense implies a special, organised occasion rather than a routine meal.

Common Mistakes

I am going to a dinner with my family tonight at 7 p.m.' (sounds like a formal event for a routine family meal)
I am having dinner with my family tonight at 7 p.m.
Use 'have dinner' without an article for the everyday meal; reserve 'a dinner' for formal/special occasions.
Idioms

a dog’s breakfast/dinner

idiom

Something that is done very poorly or is a mess.

Maya made a dog's breakfast of her science project.

Did you see the report? It's a dog's dinner.

done like a dinner

idiom

Completely beaten or defeated in a competition or argument.

Our team was done like a dinner in the final match.

After that debate, he was done like a dinner.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Dinner, supper, and tea can all refer to an evening meal, but they carry different social and regional meanings. Dinner is the standard term across most English-speaking regions for the main evening meal. Supper tends to suggest a lighter, more informal meal eaten later in the evening, often at home rather than at a restaurant — in some US households it is used interchangeably with dinner, while in others it implies a smaller meal after a larger midday dinner. Tea is a distinctly British term, used particularly in northern England and among working-class families, to refer to the main cooked evening meal (lunch being the midday meal in this system). Lunch, by contrast, is the midday meal in most English varieties and is typically lighter than dinner. Meal is the broadest term and covers any eating occasion. When in doubt, dinner is the safest choice for the evening meal in almost any setting: "I invited them over for dinner at seven" works everywhere, whereas "come for tea" or "come for supper" may confuse listeners outside the UK or certain US regions.

supper ↗tea ↗lunch ↗meal ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • dinner party
  • dinner guest
  • dinner table
  • dinner time
  • dinner plate
  • dinner jacket
  • dinner menu

Phrases

  • have dinner
  • eat dinner
  • cook dinner
  • serve dinner
  • skip dinner
  • go out for dinner

Prepositions

  • for dinner
  • at dinner
  • before dinner
  • after dinner
  • during dinner
  • over dinner

Etymology

Vulgar LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Dinner comes from the Old French word 'disner', meaning 'to break one's fast' — the first meal of the day. It traces further back to the Vulgar Latin 'disjejunare', a combination of 'dis-' (undo) and 'jejunare' (to fast). Interestingly, the word originally referred to the morning meal (breaking the overnight fast), but over centuries the meaning shifted as the main meal of the day moved to later hours, first to midday and then to the evening.