twilight

American  

[twahy-lahyt] / ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt /

noun

• twilights
  plural

1. the soft, diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, either from daybreak to sunrise or, more commonly, from sunset to nightfall.

2. the period in the morning or, more commonly, in the evening during which this light prevails.

3. a terminal period, especially after full development, success, etc..

   the twilight of his life.

4. a state of uncertainty, vagueness, or gloom.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling twilight; dim; obscure.

   in the twilight hours.

2. appearing or flying at twilight; crepuscular.

twilight British  

/ ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt, ˈtwaɪˌlɪt /

noun

1. the soft diffused light occurring when the sun is just below the horizon, esp following sunset

2. the period in which this light occurs

3. the period of time during which the sun is a specified angular distance below the horizon (6°, 12°, and 18° for civil twilight , nautical twilight , and astronomical twilight , respectively)

4. any faint light

5. a period in which strength, importance, etc, are waning

   the twilight of his life

6. (modifier)

   1. of or relating to the period towards the end of the day

      the twilight shift

   2. of or relating to the final phase of a particular era

      the twilight days of the Bush presidency

   3. denoting irregularity and obscurity

      a twilight existence

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• twilighty
  adjective
• twilit
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• twilights
  plural

Etymology

Origin of twilight

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English; twi- + light ¹

Explanation

The time just after sunset, when the light is half-faded, but the world is not yet totally dark, is twilight. If you are between two states, like asleep and awake, that can also be called a twilight moment. Twilight comes just before the night falls. The early light, just before sunrise, is also technically called "twilight" but most people call it "dawn." The prefix twi- might be a clue that twilight happens twice a day, or it could mean "half," as in the half-light of this time. Something that is declining can be described as twilight — like the twilight of the trend of wearing plastic clogs favored by nurses and chefs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

twilight twilights

The fight arrives later than anybody wanted, with both in the twilight of their careers, but for years British boxing's biggest heavyweight rivalry seemed destined to remain a story of what might have been.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

For southern Canada, much of the US and northern Mexico, day becomes twilight and breathing outdoors without masks becomes increasingly difficult.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

Together, these changes led to the end of what Mr. White calls “the amalgamated city and its possibilities,” and the twilight of the first free black New Yorkers’ moment in the sun.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

It creates a strange twilight during which temperatures drop, shadows appear at strange angles and some animals go to sleep.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

Late in the night, with the summer twilight still brightening the sky, Dr. Macklin was called to Shackleton's cabin.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

And there have been others who won as role players in the twilights of their careers, such as Gary Payton and Jason Kidd.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 26, 2023

And so many kids spend their twilights there still hoping and shooting and trying again until the night falls.

From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2023

L.A. got under my skin, with its barely contained chaos and lingering twilights.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2022

Harris won a Tony Award — her fifth — for a performance that Kerr called a “generous, spiny, proud, bemusedly defiant, subtly yielding evocation of Emily Dickinson’s mornings, twilights, and sometimes busy midnights.”

From Washington Post ● Dec. 11, 2019

The twilights and dawns were clear, with delicate green skies.

From The Black Opal by Katharine Susannah Prichard

Related Words

• dusk
• sunset