What does "twilight" mean?
The soft light in the sky seen before the rising and (especially) after the setting of the sun, occasioned by the illumination of the earth’s atmosphere by the direct rays of the sun and their reflection on the earth.
Twilight
/ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The soft light in the sky seen before the rising and (especially) after the setting of the sun, occasioned by the illumination of the earth’s atmosphere by the direct rays of the sun and their reflection on the earth.
- Grammar: twilight is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: crepuscule, gloaming, dusk, afterglow.
- Useful contrasts: bright, bright daylight, daylight.
- Usage evidence: We find ourselves in the twilight of our civilization.
How to use "twilight"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "twilight" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "twilight" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "twilight" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "twilight" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "twilight" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "crepuscule" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "twilight", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The soft light in the sky seen before the rising and (especially) after the setting of the sun, occasioned by the illumination of the earth’s atmosphere by the direct rays of the sun and their reflection on the earth. countable, uncountable
"Near-synonym: half-light"
- 2 the diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon but its rays are refracted by the atmosphere of the earth wordnet
- 3 The time when said light is visible; the period between daylight and darkness. countable, uncountable
"It was twilight by the time I got back home."
- 4 a condition of decline following successes wordnet
- 5 Any faint light through which something is seen. countable, uncountable
"Two women, Eusabio’s wife and sister, looked on from the deep twilight of the hut."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 the time of day immediately following sunset wordnet
- 7 The time when the sun is less than 18° below the horizon. countable, uncountable
- 8 An in-between or fading condition through which something is perceived. broadly, countable, figuratively, uncountable
"The twilight of one's life"
Verb
- 1 To illuminate faintly. poetic, transitive
Adjective
- 1 Pertaining to or resembling twilight; faintly illuminated; obscure. not-comparable
- 2 Synonym of mesopelagic (“Describing the pelagic zone of the ocean between the photic epipelagic and the aphotic bathypelagic zones, characterized by very minimal light.”) not-comparable
"twilight zone"
Adjective
- 1 lighted by or as if by twilight wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"We find ourselves in the twilight of our civilization."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "twilight"?
Common synonyms include: crepuscule, gloaming, dusk, afterglow, alpenglow, approach of night.
How do you use "twilight" in a sentence?
We find ourselves in the twilight of our civilization.
How do you pronounce "twilight"?
Pronounced /ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt/.
Etymology
PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English twilight, twyelyghte, equivalent to twi- (“double, half-”) + light, literally ‘second light, half-light’. Cognate to Scots twa licht, twylicht, twielicht (“twilight”), Low German twilecht, twelecht (“twilight”), Dutch tweelicht (“twilight, dusk”), German Zwielicht (“twilight, dusk”). Compare Old English twēone lēoht (“twilight”).