enlighten
Americanverb (used with object)
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enlightens,
present (3rd person singular)
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enlightened,
past participle, past
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enlightening
present participle
verb
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to give information or understanding to; instruct; edify
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to free from ignorance, prejudice, or superstition
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to give spiritual or religious revelation to
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poetic to shed light on
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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enlightenednessnoun
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enlightenernoun
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preenlightenernoun
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preenlightenverb (used with object)
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reenlightenverb (used with object)
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enlighteningadjective
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nonenlightenedadjective
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unenlightenedadjective
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well-enlightenedadjective
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enlightenedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enlightensimple
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enlightenssimple
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have enlightenedperfect
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has enlightenedperfect
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am enlighteningprogressive
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are enlighteningprogressive
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is enlighteningprogressive
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have been enlighteningperfect progressive
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has been enlighteningperfect progressive
Past
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enlightenedsimple
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had enlightenedperfect
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was enlighteningprogressive
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were enlighteningprogressive
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had been enlighteningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of enlighten
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English enli(g)htenen; see en- 1, lighten 1
Explanation
To enlighten someone means to explain something clearly to him. If your friend is behaving strangely but insists she has a reason for it, you could ask her to enlighten you. Enlighten comes from the metaphor that ignorance is a state of being "in the dark," and that knowledge is illuminating. We use enlighten as a verb meaning to clear up, to remove confusion. Light is also a powerful metaphor for spiritual insight. If you have a great revelation about the divinity of the world, you could say you have been enlightened. The era known as the "Age of Reason" is also called the Enlightenment.
Vocabulary lists containing enlighten
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 14–18
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Ronald Reagan, "Tear Down This Wall" (1987)
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The Titan's Curse
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A director who loves our country and wants to enlighten us with consequential historical exhibits would be a better fit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
He offers never-ending reruns of the same speech, and at this point it fails to entertain, enlighten or move anyone.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
So can you enlighten us as to the great wisdom Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito share in their own concurrences?
From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2025
“I have committed my life to initiatives related to Stanley’s life and death that can enlighten and support others and save lives,” Lucas said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2025
“You have no idea what is happening, Perseus Jackson. I will let the General enlighten you. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you.”
From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan
There's not a lot of focus on music that enlightens people, and that carries over to other products as well.
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2023
This is her place to retreat inward with her sheep to create prose that enlightens us and products that feed us.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 16, 2023
The deeply felt elegance of Dandridge’s rendition of “Send in the Clowns” enlightens, even if belatedly, Hayden’s Fredrik, who grows in gravitas and, therefore, appeal.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2023
Patrick Carone, a former editor at Abercrombie’s quarterly magazine, enlightens viewers on the concept of a mall: “Imagine, like, a search engine that you could walk through.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2022
I will read further, searching until I find an explanation that enlightens me.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
You know, if everybody has the same idea and the same belief, we’re never going to learn anything, we’re never going to be enlightened to anything beyond ourselves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
“Are our moneyed men less enlightened to their own interest, or less enterprising in the pursuit?,” the future Treasury secretary wrote External link in 1780.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Quite poorly educated, quite easily misled, perhaps less than enlightened.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
The author ties his root-and-branch critique of capitalism to a plea to “make modern life much more affordable than it is at present,” which he hopes will open more opportunities for enlightened leisure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
Another storm enlightened Jura with faint flashes; and another darkened and sometimes disclosed the Môle, a peaked mountain to the east of the lake.
From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
"Together, these records offer a more complex and enlightening account of the Revolution, showing how its consequences were felt far beyond the Thirteen Colonies," Cunningham added.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
Alexander said: "It was the single most enlightening conversation I've had in the last month on trade so I see why you hold him in such high regard."
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
But the Glass year is already officially underway with two curiously enlightening projects this month.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
But instead of simply riding or feeding the frenzy, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, stakes out enlightening new ground in “Frida: The Making of an Icon,” on view through May 17.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
“Isn’t there anything else more enlightening we could watch? Is there anything on PBS? Any documentaries?”
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
