daytime
Americannoun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of daytime
Explanation
When the sun is lighting up the sky outside, it's daytime. Most adults are at work during the daytime and come home at nighttime. While daytime is defined as "after sunrise and before sunset," it describes this time of day even on dark, gray, days, or in parts of the world that get limited sunlight during the winter. A more accurate way to think of daytime is the hours after you wake up in the morning and before you start to think about going to bed at night. When it's daytime where you are, it's nighttime on the opposite hemisphere of the Earth.
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.
She later went from a figure-hugging sheer lavender Gucci gown to a playful daytime polka dot ensemble from Jacquemus matched with retro white sun glasses, with Elle magazine praising her "old Hollywood" dash.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Taylor Clemons’ cinematography is excellent, all slow creeping shots and shadows permeating even the daytime scenes.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
In other categories, EastEnders was named best soap, Scam Interceptors won best daytime show, and Go Back To Where You Came From picked up the factual entertainment prize.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
Aviation fundamentally compressed space and time, turning grueling ocean and train voyages into routine daytime flights.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
While a daytime television show may not be groundbreaking, I think Ellen is helping to make the world a little bit more tolerant and accepting in her own way.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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.
