Meanings
- The habit of staying awake late into the night; the quality of being a night owl.
As a people become more sophisticated, the tend toward night-owlism.
1959, Weiss, The Executive, page 62 more examples
To prevent the pressure from soaring once more to dangerous heights, I decided to increase the amount of sleep, despite the slumber-impairing heat of July, by yielding to a later night-owlism, i.e. to retiring at a time even a few hours after dawn, discounting the Daylight-Saving hour, and wearing but shorts.
1958, Eli Greifer, How I Cured My Incurable Ailments, page 221They were developing a flowing rhythm together: a healthy balance of night-owlism and early birding, although despite their proximity to the Heath they could probably have done with more fresh air.
2012, John Francis King, Funky / Guy, page 13Synonyms: owlism
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe habit of staying awake late into the night; the quality of being a night owl.
Origin
Cite this entry
night-owlism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/night-owlism
“night-owlism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/night-owlism. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “night-owlism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/night-owlism.
Source: night-owlism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.