candlelight
Americannoun
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the light of a candle.
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a dim artificial light.
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twilight; dusk.
noun
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the light from a candle or candles
they ate by candlelight
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( as modifier )
a candlelight dinner
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dusk; evening
Etymology
Origin of candlelight
before 1000; Middle English candel-liht, Old English candel-lēoht. See candle, light 1
Vocabulary lists containing candlelight
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.
“Dark restaurants, candlelight, tablecloth restaurants, Sinatra music, that whole vibe of the ‘Italian restaurant’ lends itself well to romance, and spaghetti and meatballs just happen to be the most iconic ‘Italian’ dish.”
From Salon • Feb. 14, 2026
Pensioner Neonila said Ukrainians had "adapted" to the power outages, living by candlelight and with flashlights on their phones.
From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025
A night in yellow candlelight brought back some of the magic of Christmas.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025
At the same time, we can still enjoy gathering with family or friends, eating our favorite holiday foods or attending a candlelight service on Christmas Eve.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025
Despite its name and its shiny shell, the lantern fly does not actually glow, so Maria's mention of a “flame of light” was probably the result of reflected candlelight.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
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.
