illuminati

American  

[ih-loo-muh-nah-tee, -ney-tahy] / ɪˌlu məˈnɑ ti, -ˈneɪ taɪ /

plural noun

singular

illuminato

1. persons possessing, or claiming to possess, superior enlightenment.

2. (initial capital letter) a name given to different religious societies or sects because of their claim to superior enlightenment.

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Illuminati ¹ British  

/ ɪˌluːmɪˈnɑːtiː /

plural noun

1. any of several groups of illuminati, esp in 18th-century France

2. a group of religious enthusiasts of 16th-century Spain who were persecuted by the Inquisition

3. a masonic sect founded in Bavaria in 1778 claiming that the illuminating grace of Christ resided in it alone

4. a rare name for the Rosicrucians

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illuminati ² British  

/ ɪˌluːmɪˈnɑːtiː /

plural noun

1. a group of persons claiming exceptional enlightenment on some subject, esp religion

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Etymology

Origin of illuminati

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin illūminātī, plural of illūminātus “enlightened”; illuminate

Example Sentences

A common No. 1: an under-one-hour “documentary” titled Illuminati, supposedly produced in 2019 by DOC TV.

From Slate

However, with his association with Affleck, I’m worried he’s about to be sucked up into the Boston actor illuminati.

From Slate

He joked, “Shouldn’t this gathering be happening in a volcano’s lair near Zurich? Or are we just open-sourcing the Illuminati now?”

From Salon

Coull, of Anniesland in Glasgow, who ran the event through his House of Illuminati firm, was accused of “scamming children” by parents outside the event.

From BBC

Richard is more forgiving of House of Illuminati, the organisation behind the Glasgow event.

From BBC