Entertainment and social activities available at night, especially in urban areas. Includes bars, clubs, restaurants, theaters, and other venues that operate during evening hours.
Compound word from 'night' + 'life,' first recorded in English in the early 20th century. The concept emerged with electric lighting and urbanization, when evening entertainment became a distinct cultural category.
The term 'nightlife' didn't exist before electric street lighting made cities safe and appealing after dark. Before the 1880s, most people went to bed shortly after sunset - the invention of the light bulb literally created an entirely new sphere of human social activity!
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