evening

Evening is the period of the day between late afternoon and night. Its exact boundaries vary widely by location and season, but it typically begins around sunset and extends until darkness or the start of nighttime routines, such as sleep. In everyday speech, it lies after the afternoon and before night and is closely tied to the winding down of daily activities.

The word evening derives from Old English æfen and is related to terms in other Germanic languages describing the end of the day. In many languages, the term marks the early part of the night or the period after work, reflecting its common association with routines that occur after daytime tasks.

Environmentally, the evening is characterized by diminishing daylight and the onset of twilight. Twilight phases occur as the sun drops below the horizon. Civil twilight lasts until the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon, after which nautical and astronomical twilight may follow depending on latitude and season. The exact timing of these phases varies with geographic location and time of year.

Culturally, evenings are often linked to commuting home, meals (dinner or supper), and social or entertainment activities. They also host various religious or cultural observances; for example, some Christian traditions mark evening with vespers, Islam observes the Maghrib prayer at sunset, and Judaism uses erev to denote Friday evening and other evenings, signaling transitions to sabbath or festival periods.