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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.


nightlife British  
/ ˈnaɪtˌlaɪf /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of nightlife

First recorded in 1850–55; night + life

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.

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