Dinner vs. Supper

Dinner and supper really do mean different things, or at least they used to. During the 1800s and perhaps even earlier, Americans in some rural regions started calling their midday meal dinner, while supper was reserved for the evening meal.

Historically, the word dinner was associated with the largest meal of the day, regardless of whether it was served in the morning, afternoon, or evening. Supper, on the other hand, is more time-specific. It stems from the Old French word souper, meaning an evening meal, and it was generally lighter than other meals served throughout the day.

Supper and dinner have more to do with the quantity of food that is served than the time of day that you eat. Supper is seldom used anymore and dinner is by far the more popular term in the US.