nighttime

noun

night·​time ˈnīt-ˌtīm 

often attributive

: the time from dusk to dawn

Synonyms of nighttime

• night

Examples of nighttime in a Sentence

The animal hunts in the nighttime.

before electricity, gas lamps were used for illumination during the nighttime

Recent Examples on the Web

Come nighttime, La Plaza, the resort’s open courtyard resembling a town square, dims the lights and turns up the volume to the beats of international DJs. — Jennifer Fernández Solano, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

The Wyze camera offers its Starlight Sensor that records low-light nighttime video in vivid color while the Blink registers in black and white. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 17 July 2026

The bottom line for the San Diego park, Carter stressed, is ensuring that its nighttime entertainment is engaging enough to continue drawing more guests to SeaWorld. — Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 July 2026

Now, our technology may be on the doorstep of turning nighttime to day. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nighttime

• airtime
• bedtime
• daytime
• downtime
• enzyme
• halftime
• lifetime
• longtime
• lunchtime
• mealtime
• meantime
• noontime

Kids Definition

nighttime

noun

night·​time ˈnīt-ˌtīm 

: the time from dusk to dawn

nighttime adjective

Legal Definition

nighttime

noun

night·​time

1

: the time from dusk to dawn

2

: a statutorily set period usually beginning shortly after dusk and ending shortly after dawn