# sunset

/ˈsənˌsɛt/ (US) · /sˈʌnsɛt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sunset
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. time of day

noun · CEFR A1

the time in the evening when the sun goes below the horizon and it starts to get dark.

For teachers: the daily disappearance of the sun below the western horizon; a relational boundary between afternoon and evening.

- We sat on the beach and watched the sunset together.
- The hikers aimed to reach the summit before sunset to avoid navigating the treacherous descent in total darkness.

### 2. the end of something

noun · CEFR B2 · Literary

the final period of a person's life or the last stages of a project.

For teachers: the final phase or period of existence of a person, era, or entity.

- The old king spent the sunset of his life in a quiet castle by the sea.
- The company's founders enjoyed the sunset of their careers knowing their legacy was secure in the hands of the new board.

Teaching tip: Often used in the phrase 'sunset years' to refer to the period of retirement or old age.

### 3. a fixed end date

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

a date when a law or a contract will automatically end.

For teachers: a provision in a law or regulation that causes it to expire automatically on a specific date unless further action is taken.

- The new tax law includes a sunset clause that ends the tax in three years.
- Legislators debated whether to include a sunset provision in the emergency bill to ensure the expanded powers would not become permanent.

Usage: Often used as an attributive noun, as in 'sunset clause' or 'sunset provision'.

Teaching tip: Common in business and political contexts when discussing temporary taxes or emergency powers.

### 4. to phase out

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

to gradually stop using or supporting something.

For teachers: to terminate or phase out a programme, policy, or product line, often according to a schedule.

- The company decided to sunset the old software by the end of the year.
- The department head announced plans to sunset the legacy database system once the migration to the cloud was complete.

Usage: Transitive verb; usually takes a project, software, or policy as its object.

## Examples

- We watched the beautiful sunset from the beach.
- The new tax law includes a sunset clause, meaning it will automatically expire in five years unless the government renews it.
- As the industry moved toward digital solutions, the company began the sunset of its legacy hardware support to focus resources on emerging technologies.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.