At Afternoon vs In the Afternoon

Which Is Correct?

The correct phrase is “in the afternoon”.

The phrase “at afternoon” is not standard English and should be avoided.

Why “In the Afternoon”?

In English, we use different prepositions to talk about time:

• at – for precise times (e.g., at 3 p.m., at noon)
• on – for days and dates (e.g., on Monday, on July 4th)
• in – for longer periods like months, years, centuries, and parts of the day (e.g., in July, in 2025, in the morning/afternoon/evening)

Since “afternoon” refers to a part of the day (roughly 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.), we use “in the afternoon.”

Examples in Context

1. We usually have tea in the afternoon.
2. She likes to take a walk in the afternoon.
3. The meeting is scheduled for in the afternoon tomorrow.
4. I’ll call you back in the afternoon.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ I’ll see you at afternoon.

✅ I’ll see you in the afternoon.

❌ It happened at afternoon yesterday.

✅ It happened in the afternoon yesterday.

Quick Tip

Remember this simple rule:

Use “in the [part of day]” — morning, afternoon, evening.
(But note: we say “at night”, not “in the night,” in most everyday contexts!)