twilight

American  

[twahy-lahyt] / ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt /

noun

1. the soft, diffused light lights 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 lights 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

• twilighty adjective
• twilit adjective

Etymology

Origin of twilight

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

Example Sentences

Slanting shadows, rooms like cells, muted sound, a sense of emotional twilight.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

Or, God forbid, should I find someone to marry just for the purpose of taking care of me in my twilight years?

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

Together, the findings highlight how overlooked species in the ocean's twilight zone play an outsized role in shaping marine food webs and the behavior of some of the ocean's largest predators.

From Science Daily • Dec. 28, 2025

Then came Harry Brook's brain fade when set on 31 - flaying a wild drive at pink-ball maestro Mitchell Starc to second slip in the twilight.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025

Below, this sky reminds me of twilight in Santa Fe.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Related Words

• dusk
• sunset