# luncheon

/ˈɫəntʃən/ (US) · /lˈʌntʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/luncheon
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. formal midday meal

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a formal meal served in the middle of the day, often for a special event.

For teachers: a formal midday meal, often held to honour a guest or mark a specific occasion. The term implies a higher degree of ceremony than 'lunch'.

- The charity held a fundraising luncheon at the hotel for its donors.
- The university hosted a formal luncheon in the Great Hall to celebrate the visiting professor's lifetime achievements in literature.

### 2. midday meal

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

an old-fashioned word for lunch.

For teachers: a midday meal; the original full form of the word 'lunch'.

- In the old novel, the characters stopped for a quick luncheon at the inn.
- Nineteenth-century etiquette dictated specific dress codes for a lady attending a private luncheon at a friend's estate.

### 3. processed meat

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Dialect

a type of large, cheap sausage that is sliced thin.

For teachers: a large, precooked, processed meat product, typically served in thin slices as a sandwich filling.

- He made a simple sandwich with two slices of luncheon and some mustard.
- The deli counter was stocked with various types of luncheon, though the cheaper varieties were mostly composed of cereal fillers.

## Examples

- The mayor hosted a luncheon for the visiting guests.
- The charity organized a fundraising luncheon to celebrate the successful completion of the new community center.
- While a casual lunch might involve a quick bite at one's desk, a luncheon implies a seated affair with a fixed menu and a specific guest list.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.