Legal Definitions - post meridiem

Post Meridiem (often abbreviated as p.m. or PM) is a Latin phrase that precisely means after noon or after midday. In the 12-hour clock system, it designates the period of time from noon until midnight, distinguishing the afternoon and evening hours from the morning hours (which are designated ante meridiem or a.m.).

Here are some examples illustrating the use of Post Meridiem:

• A legal brief must be filed with the court by 5:00 p.m. on Friday.

  This means the deadline for submitting the document is five hours after noon on Friday, indicating an afternoon filing time.

• The community council meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM this evening.

  The 7:30 PM start time signifies that the meeting will commence seven and a half hours after noon, placing it in the evening hours.

• A doctor's office typically closes for appointments at 6:00 p.m. on weekdays.

  This indicates that the office stops seeing patients six hours after noon, marking the end of their business day in the late afternoon or early evening.