during dinner

USAGE SUMMARY

"during dinner" is correct and usable in written English.
For example, "We had an interesting conversation during dinner about the future of our business."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"And that's during dinner," he says, laughing.

The New York Times - Style

She likes to play him Vivaldi during dinner.

The New York Times - Magazine

Breakfast and dinner, with orchestra during dinner and dancing.

The New York Times - Arts

No cell phones calls allowed at the tables during dinner".

The Guardian - Travel

A couple of bombs fell very near during dinner.

The Guardian

Their father agreed to cease using his iPhone during dinner.

The New York Times - Food

"We had long discussions afterward during dinner," Dr. Schmitz said.

The New York Times - Science

Robert Frost arrived at the school during dinner.

The New Yorker

An orchestra performed during dinner; 320 guests attended.

The New York Times

With my mother away, there's no conversation during dinner.

The New Yorker

She reaches over and messes with his shirt collar (earlier, he smelled her hair) during dinner.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "during dinner" to clearly specify that an event or action occurred concurrently with the meal, creating a clear temporal context. For example, "We discussed the project's progress during dinner."

Common error

Avoid using "at dinner" interchangeably with "during dinner" if you mean the action happened throughout the meal. "At dinner" refers to the location or event, while "during dinner" specifies the timing of an action. For instance, say "We had a long discussion during dinner" not "at dinner" to emphasize the discussion spanned the entire meal.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "during dinner" functions as an adverbial prepositional phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate when an action occurred. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically sound and widely used. For example, "She made an important announcement during dinner."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

57%

Science

22%

Wiki

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "during dinner" is a grammatically sound and very common way to specify when an action or event happens in relation to an evening meal. As Ludwig AI confirms, it functions as an adverbial prepositional phrase, providing temporal context and fitting seamlessly into neutral registers across news, scientific, and casual settings. To use it effectively, remember that "during dinner" indicates that something happened while the meal was in progress. While alternatives like "at dinner" and "over dinner" exist, choosing "during" emphasizes the concurrent timing of the action with the meal.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

at dinner

Replaces "during" with "at", slightly changing the focus to the dinner event itself rather than the duration.

while having dinner

Uses a more verbose construction emphasizing the act of eating dinner.

over dinner

Indicates that something happens in the course of the dinner period.

in the course of dinner

A more formal version of 'over dinner'.

throughout dinner

Implies an action that occurs from the beginning to the end of the dinner.

during the evening meal

Substitutes "dinner" with a more descriptive and slightly formal phrase.

while dining

A concise alternative focusing on the act of dining.

as we ate dinner

Rephrases to focus on the action of eating dinner.

dinner time

Focuses on a general time instead of an activity that happens throughout the whole meal.

with dinner

Links an action or event together with dinner, implying simultaneousness.

FAQs

How can I use "during dinner" in a sentence?

Use "during dinner" to indicate when an event or action occurred while the meal was ongoing. For example, "The phone rang "during dinner", interrupting our conversation."

What's the difference between "at dinner" and "during dinner"?

"At dinner" refers to the location or the event of eating dinner, while "during dinner" specifies that something happened concurrently with the meal. For instance, "We were at dinner" indicates location, but "We discussed plans "during dinner"" indicates timing.

What can I say instead of "during dinner"?

You can use alternatives like "at dinner", "while having dinner", or "over dinner" depending on the context.

Is it ever incorrect to use "during dinner"?

The phrase "during dinner" is typically correct, but it's important to ensure the context implies that the action occurred while the meal was in progress. If the action simply preceded or followed dinner, a different preposition might be more appropriate.