Daytime: The Hours When the Sun Is Up
Daytime is the period between sunrise and sunset. Broadcasting uses the word for a whole category of programming aimed at people at home during working hours.
Daytime is the lit part of the day. Television gave the word a second life: daytime programming is a recognised genre with its own conventions, made for an audience assumed to be at home while others are at work.
- The hours of daylight. *Foxes are rarely seen in the daytime.*
- Occurring during the day (adjective). *Daytime temperatures.*
- A category of television. *Daytime TV.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | daytime | During the daytime. |
| Adjective | daytime | Daytime running lights. |
| Opposite | night-time | Night-time closures. |
| Related | daylight | Fading daylight. |
| Related | diurnal | A diurnal species. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Daytime temperatures reached 34 degrees.Weather reporting.
- Owls hunt at night and roost in the daytime.In the daytime — the usual phrase.
- Daytime running lights are compulsory on new cars in the EU.A safety requirement since 2011.
Daytime, daylight and day
- Daytime — the period when it is light
- Daylight — the light itself
- Day — either the lit hours or the full 24 hours, depending on context
- Diurnal — the scientific adjective for active by day
- Nocturnal — its opposite, active by night
- Crepuscular — active at dawn and dusk, which is when most deer and rabbits move
A plain compound of *day* and *time*, both Old English. Its usefulness lies in removing the ambiguity of *day*, which can mean the lit hours or the whole calendar day depending on the sentence.
Daytime or day time?
One word. Day time as two words looks like an error in modern writing.
What is daytime television?
Programming broadcast between morning and late afternoon — chat shows, quizzes and repeats — aimed at an at-home audience.