[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/pm/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [P](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/p/) / pm

# pm

abbreviation (pm, p.m., PM)

«pm» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. «pm» (from Latin post meridiem, "after midday") means the hours after 12 noon and before midnight: 3 pm is in the afternoon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pm/#m1)
2. «PM» (UK, Australia, Canada, etc.) stands for Prime Minister, the leader of the government. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pm/#m2)
3. (informal, online) «PM» means a private message: "PM me". [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pm/#m3)

### In the lessons

In school maths, time problems use am and pm: from 10 am to 2 pm is 4 hours — you count across noon. 12 pm is noon (midday) and 12 am is midnight, which confuses many people. The 24-hour clock writes 3 pm as 15:00 — add 12 to the pm hour. In news, the PM gives speeches. Online, people send PMs. Phrases: «at 3 pm», «the PM», «send a PM».

### Examples

- School finishes at 3 pm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pm/#x1)
- The film starts at 7:30 pm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pm/#x2)
- From 11 am to 2 pm is 3 hours. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pm/#x3)
- 4 pm on the 24-hour clock is 16:00. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pm/#x4)
- The PM visited our town today. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pm/#x5)
- Lunch is at 12 pm, which means noon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pm/#x6)
- Can you PM me the homework? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pm/#x7)
- The shop is open 9 am – 5 pm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pm/#x8)

### Note

Written pm, p.m. or PM; lower case for time is common in the UK and Australia, «p.m.» in the US. Do not write «3 pm in the afternoon» (it repeats itself). Trap: 12 pm = noon, 12 am = midnight. For durations crossing noon, count to 12 then add the pm hours. To change pm to 24-hour time, add 12 (except 12 pm).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «pm» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pm/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«pm» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/pm.html) on Mova free.