twilight

noun

twi·​light ˈtwī-ˌlīt How to pronounce twilight (audio)
often attributive
1
: 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
also : a time of twilight
2
a
: an intermediate state that is not clearly defined
lived in the twilight of neutralityNewsweek
b
: a period of decline

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Their paths crossed again when Slot returned to Zwolle in the twilight of his playing days after spells at NAC Breda and Sparta Rotterdam. James Pearce, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025 The ostensible reason: Benedict didn’t want his physical deterioration to paralyze the church the way John Paul II’s Parkinson’s disease did during the twilight of a papacy that lasted more than a quarter of a century. Howard Chua-Eoan, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025 White boulders shape-shifted in the twilight, and the sound of a calving glacier ricocheted like a gunshot between the mountains. Chloe Berge, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2025 The species is nocturnal, hunting its prey during twilight and typically consuming it by morning. Scott Travers, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for twilight

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of twilight was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Twilight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twilight. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

twilight

noun
twi·​light ˈtwī-ˌlīt How to pronounce twilight (audio)
: the period or the light from the sky between full night and sunrise or between sunset and full night

More from Merriam-Webster on twilight

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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