twilight

American  

[twahy-lahyt] / ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt /

noun

• twilights
  plural

1. the soft, diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, either from daybreak to sunrise or, more commonly, from sunset to nightfall.

2. the period in the morning or, more commonly, in the evening during which this light prevails.

3. a terminal period, especially after full development, success, etc..

   the twilight of his life.

4. a state of uncertainty, vagueness, or gloom.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling twilight; dim; obscure.

   in the twilight hours.

2. appearing or flying at twilight; crepuscular.

twilight British  

/ ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt, ˈtwaɪˌlɪt /

noun

1. the soft diffused light occurring when the sun is just below the horizon, esp following sunset

2. the period in which this light occurs

3. the period of time during which the sun is a specified angular distance below the horizon (6°, 12°, and 18° for civil twilight , nautical twilight , and astronomical twilight , respectively)

4. any faint light

5. a period in which strength, importance, etc, are waning

   the twilight of his life

6. (modifier)

   1. of or relating to the period towards the end of the day

      the twilight shift

   2. of or relating to the final phase of a particular era

      the twilight days of the Bush presidency

   3. denoting irregularity and obscurity

      a twilight existence

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• twilighty
  adjective
• twilit
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• twilights
  plural

Etymology

Origin of twilight

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English; twi- + light ¹

Explanation

The time just after sunset, when the light is half-faded, but the world is not yet totally dark, is twilight. If you are between two states, like asleep and awake, that can also be called a twilight moment. Twilight comes just before the night falls. The early light, just before sunrise, is also technically called "twilight" but most people call it "dawn." The prefix twi- might be a clue that twilight happens twice a day, or it could mean "half," as in the half-light of this time. Something that is declining can be described as twilight — like the twilight of the trend of wearing plastic clogs favored by nurses and chefs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

twilight twilights

Although Cousins is in the twilight of his career, he has thrown a league-high nine touchdown passes, thriving in a system that emphasizes play action schemes and quickly diagnosing coverages, two areas where Cousins excels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

A twilight stroll through “Carved” at Descanso Gardens is like walking through a Halloween fairy tale, as exquisitely designed pumpkins surround and dazzle us in glowing installations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

For southern Canada, much of the US and northern Mexico, day becomes twilight and breathing outdoors without masks becomes increasingly difficult.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

As twilight settled on a hillside by the river near the eastern Ukrainian front, two soldiers exchanged wedding vows during a Slavic ritual honouring ancestors and fallen warriors.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

When the last vestiges of twilight were gone, Constance called the captains together.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Because of the longevity of their careers, too many people will remember them mostly in their twilights, which is a shame.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 28, 2023

One of the knocks on LIV was that so many of its big names were in the twilights of their careers.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 8, 2023

And so many kids spend their twilights there still hoping and shooting and trying again until the night falls.

From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2023

Harris won a Tony Award — her fifth — for a performance that Kerr called a “generous, spiny, proud, bemusedly defiant, subtly yielding evocation of Emily Dickinson’s mornings, twilights, and sometimes busy midnights.”

From Washington Post ● Dec. 11, 2019

And there when lengthening twilights fall As softly as a wild bird's wing, Across the valley in the dusk I hear the silver flute of spring.

From Later Poems by Bliss Carman

Related Words

• dusk
• sunset