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

They were initially devised as an innovation to make multi-day cricket playable at nighttime — the standard, dark red ball is too difficult to see under floodlights — and thereby boost the sport’s finances. —Matt Roller, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025

With nighttime arriving sooner thanks to daylight savings, this on-sale table lamp adds a warm glow to your space as well as some hints of texture with its embossed base. —Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025

As nighttime descends earlier, the weather gets colder and wintertime arrives, here are some upcoming fun events lined up through the holidays and beyond. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 28 Nov. 2025

Breaking and entering at nighttime to commit a felony. —Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 2025

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