What does weeknight mean?
Weeknight is a noun for an evening that falls during the working week, especially from Monday through Thursday, as opposed to a weekend evening. It often carries a practical, everyday association: after work or school, while dinner is being prepared, chores remain, and the next day is still ahead. The term is standard in both British and American English, though British speakers may also say “school night” for an evening when children have school the next day. “On a weeknight” is the most common construction, and the plural “weeknights” is regular. Although “weeknight” can sound like a simple calendrical label, its common use often implies domestic routine and limited time. That connotation makes it especially useful when describing schedules, family meals, television viewing, transportation, or other activities that contrast with freer weekend evenings.
nounAn evening during the working week, especially Monday through Thursday, as distinguished from a weekend evening. It often refers to the period after work or school and before bedtime.
- An evening during the working week, especially Monday through Thursday, rather than a weekend evening.
"On a weeknight, dinner is often the pause between work and homework."
"On a weeknight, dinner is often the pause between work and homework."
"The library offers special weeknight hours for students."
The regular plural is used for multiple weeknight evenings.
"We go to the cinema on Friday and stay home on weeknights."
Weeknight is a tiny linguistic paradox: the night of the week that is not yet the weekend.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does weeknight come from?
Weeknight is an English compound of week and night. The word week comes from Old English wicu, referring to a week or interval of days, while night comes from Old English niht. The compound reflects the traditional calendrical contrast between ordinary working-week nights and weekend nights.
Related word forms
How weeknight is actually used
The noun is neutral and common in everyday speech. Dictionaries vary slightly in whether Friday evening is included; the usual contemporary contrast is with the weekend.
Easily confused with weeknight
A weekend is the period from Saturday through Sunday, whereas a weeknight is an evening during the working week.
A weekday is a day from Monday through Friday, whereas a weeknight is an evening within that period, commonly Monday through Thursday.