skylight

American  

[skahy-lahyt] / ˈskaɪˌlaɪt /

noun

skylights plural

1. an opening in a roof or ceiling, fitted with glass, for admitting daylight.

2. the frame set with glass fitted to such an opening.

3. Meteorology. the diffuse light from the sky, scattered by air molecules, as distinguished from the direct radiation from the sun.

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skylight British  

/ ˈskaɪˌlaɪt /

noun

1. Also called: fanlight.  a window placed in a roof or ceiling to admit daylight

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• skylights
  plural

Etymology

Origin of skylight

First recorded in 1670–80; sky + light ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

skylight skylights

There’s also a skylight, which makes the entryway feel bright and airy.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026

Under the skylight of a 10-foot industrial ceiling is a cold, foreboding blacksmith’s forge — which, on an active day, would heat up to 2,500 degrees — surrounded by uncut, conical metal templates awaiting manipulation.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026

We delivered Moynihan Train Hall across the street—a grand space with a breathtaking skylight and first-class amenities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026

Not one of the galleries has a skylight, although some have one or two slender slits atop the walls that admit weak slivers of borrowed light.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

The ground-floor windows had been sandbagged, and every skylight cemented over.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

We put in the skylights this year because we were trying to protect the plants from light exposure and the rising heatwaves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

The team focused on radar images showing localized surface collapses and applied a specialized imaging technique they developed to detect and analyze underground conduits near skylights.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 12, 2026

The kitchen is lit with huge skylights that accentuate the natural wood beams and bring a beautiful bright feeling into the space.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 9, 2025

His company has been developing illumination with higher-than-usual amounts of blue-enriched light, using faux windows that give the illusion of a blue sky outside and faux skylights that show blue sky with a virtual sun.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025

The windows acted like skylights at the base of the dome, allowing sunshine to flood into the room below.

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein