Does 12 a.m. refer to noon or midnight?

Answer by  saurabhp (158)

12 a.m refers to midnight. 12 p.m. refers to noon. At each of the hours of 12, the a.m. changes to p.m. or the p.m changes to a.m. In the morning, think of 11:45 a.m. When the clock strikes 12, it changes to 12 p.m. After 11:45 p.m, when it's 12, it becomes 12 a.m.

Answer by  Anonymous

There is honest disagreement. The U.S. Government manual of style recommends using 12:00 pm as midnight, 12:00 am as noon.

Answer by  Anonymous

Because 12 is the last number in the hourly series, 12 a.m. refers to the 12 o'clock that comes at the end of the morning, just as 12 p.m. refers to 12 midnight.

Answer by  corragh (17)

12 a.m. refers to midnight; 12 p.m. refers to noon. A.M. stands for ante meridiem (before noon); P.M. stands for post meridiem, (between noon and midnight).

Answer by  Danie (993)

The time 12 a.m. refers to midnight, not noon. Noon would be noted as 12 p.m. rather than 12 a.m. Regardless of which country you are in, this would apply. This also includes countries which have different daylight savings time rules than we use here in the United States.