atmospheric phenomena accompanying the daily disappearance of the sun
"The vibrant hues of orange and purple painted across the sky created a stunning sunset that lingered long after the sun had fully disappeared below the horizon."
the daily event of the sun sinking below the horizon
"We sat on the porch to watch the sunset as the golden light slowly faded from the sky."
The time of day when the sun disappears below the western horizon.
"The sky turned a deep orange as we watched the sunset slowly dip below the western horizon."
In plain English: Sunset is the time when the sun goes down below the horizon and the sky starts to get dark.
"We watched the sunset paint the sky in shades of orange and purple."
Usage: Use "sunset" to refer specifically to the moment or period when the sun dips below the horizon, distinct from the broader evening that follows. It functions as a noun describing this daily event rather than an adjective modifying other nouns like "evening."
To phase out.
"The company plans to sunset its legacy software by next year in favor of the new cloud system."
In plain English: To sunset something means to gradually stop using it or take it offline, usually because it is no longer needed or profitable.
"The sun will not sunset tonight because the sky is too cloudy."
The word sunset comes from Middle English, where it literally meant "sun setting." It entered the language by combining the words for sun and set, appearing in writing as early as before 1393.