twilight
- The soft, diffuse light from the sky in the period just before sunrise or just after sunset.
- A period or state of gradual decline following a peak or prime.
In a sentence
- They sat on the porch watching the sky turn amber and violet in the quiet of twilight.
- The retired statesman spent the twilight of his career writing memoirs and mentoring younger diplomats.
Usage note. Strictly, twilight includes both the period after sunset (evening twilight) and before sunrise (morning twilight); in common use it defaults to evening, so specify 'morning twilight' if needed.
Where it comes from
Middle English twilight — “half-light between day/night” · entered English 15th c.
From Middle English 'twilight', compounded from 'twi-' (meaning 'between, half' — cognate with Old English 'twi-', suggesting ambiguity or duality) and 'light'. The prefix 'twi-' reflects the sense of being between day and night. The word has been recorded in English since the 15th century.