midnight sun

American

[mid-nahyt suhn] / ˈmɪdˌnaɪt ˈsʌn /

noun

the sun visible at midnight in Arctic and Antarctic regions during their summer months.

midnight sun British

noun

the sun visible at midnight during local summer inside the Arctic and Antarctic circles

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of midnight sun

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“We were in the midnight sun, slowly slaloming through huge icebergs, and the light was just incredible when it shone over the icebergs... That was just really beautiful.”

From BBC

Around this time, areas towards the North Pole experience "midnight sun".

From BBC

Every year, people around the world ring in the June solstice with midsummer bonfires, festivals and — for those living above the Arctic Circle — midnight sun celebrations.

From New York Times

Spring and summer are popular with tourists in Svalbard, with many visiting the almost untouched archipelago in the high Arctic while the sun doesn't set at night during what's known as the "midnight sun".

From BBC

The tight-knit town of 230 people exists because of and for tourism in the months of the midnight sun.

From National Geographic

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023