nightclub
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of nightclub
Explanation
A nightclub is a bar or a disco where people can dance or be entertained late into the night. There are many nightclubs in New York City, but there are no nightclubs at all in most tiny Vermont villages. Visitors to a nightclub can eat and drink; watch singers, dancers, or comedians perform; and usually also dance to live music or songs played by a DJ. You can also call a nightclub a "club" for short — the dance floor is what distinguishes it from a bar or a pub. The word nightclub sounds modern, but it dates from the late nineteenth century.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
How could one captain not be in charge because of a nightclub incident, with the replacement less than a year on from a nightclub incident of his own?
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
The soda brand was created by chefs in the since-closed Passing Clouds nightclub in Dalston, east London.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film is directly alluded to on the walls of one of Renton’s nightclub haunts, which are decorated like the Korova Milkbar.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
The church began renting space in a former nightclub, with seating for hundreds of worshipers as it convened multiple services a weekend.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
He could walk into a nightclub and sniff danger instantly, backing out right away.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
