nightlife

American  

[nahyt-lahyf] / ˈnaɪtˌlaɪf /

Or night life

noun

1. the activity of people seeking nighttime diversion, as at a nightclub, theater, or the like.

2. the entertainment available to them.

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nightlife British  

/ ˈnaɪtˌlaɪf /

noun

1. social life or entertainment taking place in the late evening or night, as in nightclubs

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Etymology

Origin of nightlife

First recorded in 1850–55; night + life

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Explanation

Popular entertainment that happens after dark is called nightlife. In your small town, the nightlife might be all about disco night at the Elks Lodge. Any social activity you take part in at night can be called nightlife, but the word usually describes things like dancing at clubs, big parties, and live music concerts. If you visit a large city, there is going to be more nightlife available than if you spend the summer in remote Alaska. This word, with its original definition, "habitual nocturnal carousing," dates from the 1850s.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nightlife

You might be familiar with him as a longtime fixture of the NYC nightlife scene or as an actor on HBO’s Somebody Somewhere.

From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2026

Under-30s have described missing out on being able to "let loose and mess around" because of a "bleak" lack of nightlife where they live.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Carrero, already a poet, scholar, political organizer and nightlife host, would flaunt yet another title that weekend as wedding officiant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Belfast has fewer venues than comparable cities, such as Dublin or Glasgow, which means acts often wait months for a slot, killing the spontaneity that helps drive any nightlife economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

The worldly Argentinean grandmaster Miguel Najdorf, who wasn’t playing in the tournament, introduced Bobby to the city’s nightlife, not caring that he was undermining the boy’s possibility of gaining a top spot in the competition.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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