daylight

daylight — noun

1. the brightness that the sun produces during the day, which allows people to see

1.nounA2
Definition

the brightness that the sun produces during the day, which allows people to see outdoors without needing lamps or other artificial light

Example

The bedroom gets plenty of daylight through the large south-facing windows.

collocation: plenty of daylight

Dahlia prefers to work in daylight rather than under a desk lamp.

preposition: in daylight

Common collocations
  • broad daylight
  • plenty of daylight
  • in daylight
  • by daylight
  • daylight hours
  • at first daylight
Synonyms
  • sunlight

    more specific — refers only to the direct rays of the sun, not the general brightness of the sky

  • natural light

    a broader term that can include reflected or indirect light, often used in photography and architecture

  • daytime

    refers to the period of time, not the light itself

Antonyms
  • darkness

    the absence of light, especially at night

  • nighttime

    the period when there is no daylight

Usage Note

Unlike 'sunlight', which refers specifically to the sun's direct rays, 'daylight' includes the general brightness of the sky during daytime hours.

Common Mistakes

I woke up before daylight and went for a run in the dark.
I woke up before dawn and went for a run in the dark.
'dawn' is the specific time when light first appears; 'daylight' refers to the light itself during the full day.
Idioms

(in) broad daylight

idiom

During the daytime when everything is clearly visible.

The thief stole the bicycle in broad daylight.

Did you really see the accident happen in broad daylight?

daylight robbery

idiom

A situation where someone is charged an unfairly high price for something.

Paying fifty dollars for a sandwich is daylight robbery.

Maya called the repair fee daylight robbery.

daylight — verb

Word family

  • daylighting
    nounC1
  • daylight-saving
    adjectiveB1
  • daydream
    nounB1
  • daybreak
    nounB2
  • broad daylight
    noun phraseB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Sunlight' and 'daylight' are closely related but not interchangeable. 'Sunlight' refers specifically to the direct rays of the sun — the bright, warm beams that fall on a surface when the sky is clear. 'Daylight' is a broader term that covers all natural brightness during daytime hours, including the light that comes from the sky on a cloudy day when no direct sun is visible. If you say 'the room is filled with sunlight,' you picture a sunbeam hitting the floor; if you say 'the room is filled with daylight,' you mean the whole room is bright from the outdoors. 'Daytime' differs from both because it refers to the period of time, not the light itself: 'during the daytime' means between sunrise and sunset. 'Natural light' is the broadest of the four — it includes daylight (which is natural) but is also used in photography and architecture to describe any light from natural sources, including moonlight. For everyday use: choose 'sunlight' when the sun is visible in the scene; choose 'daylight' when the general brightness of the day matters; choose 'daytime' when you are talking about a period on the clock.

sunlight ↗daytime ↗natural light

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • in broad daylight
  • at first daylight
  • in the light of day

Prepositions

  • in daylight
  • by daylight
  • during daylight
  • after daylight

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in Old English as a compound of 'dæg' (day, the period of light) and 'lēoht' (light, brightness). The word has been used since before the 12th century to describe the natural light of the sun during daytime. The verb senses developed much later, in the 20th century, extending the core idea of 'bringing into the light' to architecture (1970s), environmental restoration (1990s), traffic engineering (2000s), and figurative disclosure — all drawing on the same metaphor of making something visible.