twilight

noun

twi·​light ˈtwī-ˌlīt 

often attributive

1

a

: the light from the sky between full night and sunrise or between sunset and full night produced by diffusion of sunlight through the atmosphere and its dust

especially : such light immediately following sunset

b

: a time of twilight

2

a

: an intermediate state that is not clearly defined

… lived in the twilight of neutrality …

—Newsweek

b

: a period of decline

Synonyms of twilight

• dark
• dusk
• shadows
• night
• darkness
• blackness
• black
• gloom

Examples of twilight in a Sentence

The sun set and twilight fell.

stumbled around the twilight of the shuttered room, unable to see where she was going

Recent Examples on the Web

Churchill’s role in the famine, which took place during the twilight of India’s rule by Great Britain, has long been a topic of debate among historians. —News Desk, Artforum, 23 June 2026

Darkness is now at a premium, with extended twilight lingering well into the night and returning early in the morning, but the moon is back in the evening sky. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 19 June 2026

Neymar is also deep into the twilight of his career. —Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 13 June 2026

Venus will be the easiest to find, shining as the brightest star-like object in the twilight. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing twilight

• twilight glow
• twilight world
• twilight zone

Rhymes for twilight

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight

Kids Definition

twilight

noun

twi·​light ˈtwī-ˌlīt 

: the period or the light from the sky between full night and sunrise or between sunset and full night