20:00 Military Time – Explaining the 24-Hour Military Time Clock

Introduction

At first glance, any type of military time can sound confusing, but understanding the military 24-hour clock is actually quite simple. In this article, we’ll discuss what 20:00 military time is and how it is different from the traditional twelve hour time system.

Definition of Military Time

The military 24-hour clock is the standard timekeeping system used by the United States Armed Forces. Military time consists of an over-arching 24-hour sequence to denote the time of day in which hours are numbered from 00 to 23. Each hour is a full sixty minutes, so for example, 15:00 military time would be 3:00 pm in the traditional time system.

Understanding 20:00 Military Time

In the standard 24-hour system, 20:00 is 8:00PM, or two hours later than the traditional clock’s interpretation of six o’clock in the evening. Coming two hours after 18:00 military time, this hour would usually signify a person’s bedtime, or the beginning of a late night out.

Expressing 24-Hour Time in Writing

To distinguish between traditional twelve-hour time and military time, the format of expression is different. In the military time system, the hours are preceded with a “0” when they occur prior to 10AM and trailed with a “00” when referring to midnight. For example, 08:30 military time can be written as 8:30 or 0800. Furthermore, 20:00 can be written as 8:00PM or 2000.

Conclusion

Learning how to read the military clock can come in handy in multiple contexts, from international travel to military settings. To review, 20:00 military time is 8:00PM in the traditional time standard and can be written as either 8:00 PM or 2000. We hope you now have a better understanding of military timekeeping and can confidently use this knowledge in the future.