Nyctophilia

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A strong affinity or love for darkness and the night; an attraction to nighttime environments and activities; a tendency to feel more at ease and content in dimly lit or dark surroundings
2. The emotional and psychological draw towards the night and its qualities; a preference for solitude and introspection that often accompanies darkness; an appreciation for the unique beauty that night brings
3. An intense enjoyment of nighttime experiences and the atmosphere they create; a comfort found in staying within the shadows rather than in bright light; a fascination with the mysteries that the dark holds

Etymology: Nyctophilia is a modern coinage built from two Greek elements, and its second half has a long pedigree. "Nykt-" (from "nyx," night) gives us the nycto- prefix, while "-philia" comes from "philia," a word for affection or fondness that in classical Greek described friendship, loyalty and the love between people. In ancient Greece, "philia" was a warm, social word, so pairing it with "night" to describe a taste for darkness is a deliberate twist on that older sense. The suffix itself went on to become a productive tool for scientists and writers. Anglophones borrowed "-philia" as a combining form, and it now appears in many coined terms describing fondness for something, often a preference that borders on the compulsive. Nyctophilia belongs to that group, attaching the same ending to the Greek word for night.

Synonyms: love of darkness, love of night