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Synonyms

sunlight

American  
[suhn-lahyt] / ˈsʌnˌlaɪt /

noun

  1. the light of the sun; sunshine.

sunlight British  
/ ˈsʌnlaɪt /

noun

  1. the light emanating from the sun

  2. an area or the time characterized by sunshine

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of sunlight

First recorded in 1175–1225, sunlight is from the Middle English word sonneliht. See sun, light 1

Vocabulary lists containing sunlight

The Sun – Introductory

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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.

Sunlight bleeds in from the window where the sun is setting over the Venice Canals.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

Sunlight heats these surfaces, converting water to vapor that rises into the atmosphere and eventually returns as rain.

From Science Daily • Dec. 12, 2025

The company has extended its cooperation with Sunlight Mobility, a ride-hailing service operator, to lease robotaxi vehicles and pursue an asset-light model, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

Sunlight compounds the effect by triggering a process called photoreduction, which turns silver ions into metallic silver or related compounds.

From Salon • Jan. 20, 2025

Sunlight glints off the row of glass cases, and my gaze is drawn to the weapons within.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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.