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daytime

American  
[dey-tahym] / ˈdeɪˌtaɪm /

noun

  1. the time times between sunrise and sunset.

adjective

  1. occurring, done, presented, etc., during the day.

    daytime television.
daytime British  
/ ˈdeɪˌtaɪm /

noun

  1. the time between dawn and dusk; the day as distinct from evening or night

"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

  • predaytime noun

Etymology

Origin of daytime

First recorded in 1525–35; day + time

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.

To test this, the team fed fruit flies caffeine under different conditions, including varying doses, daytime versus nighttime exposure, and combinations with sleep deprivation.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

It’s acquiring Centessa Pharmaceuticals, which is working on orexin receptor 2 agonists for conditions like narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia — forms of daytime sleepiness.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

"The geography of the strikes during the daytime was broader than at night... It can be said this was one of the largest attacks within a 24-hour period," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Run-ins with snakes are especially common during warm days, both in the daytime and in the evenings, according to park officials.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

In the daytime he was mostly asleep in a large gourd on top of a cupboard in Louis’s office.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall

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.