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Synonyms

sunlight

American  
[suhn-lahyt] / ˈsʌnˌlaɪt /

noun

  1. the light of the sun; sunshine.

sunlight British  
/ ˈsʌnlaɪt /

noun

  1. the light emanating from the sun

  2. an area or the time characterized by sunshine

"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

  • sunlit adjective

Etymology

Origin of sunlight

First recorded in 1175–1225, sunlight is from the Middle English word sonneliht. See sun, light 1

Vocabulary lists containing sunlight

The Sun – Introductory

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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.

For any solar cell to work efficiently, it must absorb sunlight and convert it into electrical charges.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

Enormous windows help to fill the main living areas with sunlight, while providing a beautiful view of the beach and the surrounding area.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Sensors on Orion recorded how its power and thermal systems coped for nearly an hour without direct sunlight and with rapid swings in heating and cooling as it moved through the eclipse.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

It’s hard to say which idea astronomers and climate experts hate worse — pointing sunlight away from Earth or toward it.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

Clare did the paddling, his arms being longer, as beside him, Gingersnipes basked in the sunlight, paws clasped behind her head.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

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.