Am/pm time format

Two 12-Hour Periods

The 12-hour system divides the 24 hours of a day into two periods lasting 12 hours each.

Noon serves as the dividing point between the two periods and as the basis for the designations am and pm:

What Is the Origin of AM and PM?

The abbreviations derive from Latin:

• AM = ante meridiem (before noon)
• PM = post meridiem (after noon)

1. AM means before noon. This is the 12-hour period from midnight to noon.
2. PM means after noon. It covers the 12 hours from noon to midnight.

Using numbers from 1 to 12, followed by am or pm, the 12-hour clock system identifies all 24 hours of the day.

For example, 1 am is one hour after midnight, and 5 am is early in the morning; 5 pm is late in the afternoon, while 11 pm is one hour before midnight.

See an overview of all hours of the day

Midnight and Noon: AM or PM?

Which Abbreviation Is Correct?

Ante meridiem is commonly denoted as AM, am, a.m., or A.M.; post meridiem is usually abbreviated PM, pm, p.m., or P.M.

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