nocturnal
adjective
noc·tur·nal
näk-ˈtər-nᵊl 
1
: of, relating to, or occurring in the night
a nocturnal journey
nocturnal activities
2
: active at night
a nocturnal predator
nocturnal insects, such as mosquitoes
Examples of nocturnal in a Sentence
he bought a new telescope so he could pursue his favorite nocturnal hobby of astronomy
Recent Examples on the Web
Calling all nocturnal movie lovers: The Toronto Film Festival has unveiled its midnight madness slate, a lineup of often disturbing and always raucous works of cinema.
—
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 24 July 2025
The group’s approach was dark and gloomy, with Butler’s nocturnal vision of a dark figure at the end of his bed inspiring the band’s title track.
—Roy Trakin, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
More than half of the country’s native lemurs are nocturnal, with species like the hairy-eared dwarf lemur, aye-aye and Moore’s woolly lemur being just a few of the potential appearances during a night walk.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
Also, just before the group saw the eagle, they were surprised by a paca—a large, usually nocturnal rodent—on the trail.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nocturnal
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Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 24 July 2025
The group’s approach was dark and gloomy, with Butler’s nocturnal vision of a dark figure at the end of his bed inspiring the band’s title track.
—Roy Trakin, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
More than half of the country’s native lemurs are nocturnal, with species like the hairy-eared dwarf lemur, aye-aye and Moore’s woolly lemur being just a few of the potential appearances during a night walk.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
Also, just before the group saw the eagle, they were surprised by a paca—a large, usually nocturnal rodent—on the trail.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nocturnal
Cite this Entry
“Nocturnal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nocturnal. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nocturnal
adjective
noc·tur·nal
näk-ˈtərn-ᵊl
1
: of, relating to, or occurring in the night
a nocturnal journey
2
: active at night
nocturnal insects
Etymology
from early French nocturnal, nocturnel or Latin nocturnalis, both meaning "nocturnal," derived from earlier Latin noct-, nox "night" — related to equinox
Medical Definition
nocturnal
adjective
noc·tur·nal
näk-ˈtərn-ᵊl
1
: of, relating to, or occurring at night
nocturnal myoclonus
2
: characterized by nocturnal activity
a nocturnal form of filariasis
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