Is noon 12 am or 12 pm?

Noon is not technically either 12 AM or 12 PM when considering the strict definitions of AM and PM.

• AM stands for ante meridiem, meaning "before midday," and PM stands for post meridiem, meaning "after midday." Since noon is exactly midday, it does not fit into either the "before" or "after" midday categories135.

However, by common convention and practical usage:

• 12 PM is widely used and understood to mean noon, or midday235.
• 12 AM is widely used and understood to mean midnight135.

To avoid confusion, it is often recommended to use the terms "noon" for 12:00 midday and "midnight" for 12:00 at night, or to use the 24-hour clock system where noon is 12:00 and midnight is 00:00124.