enlighten
Americanverb
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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
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.
However, tanker Pacific Enlighten docked at the Wheatstone terminal on Thursday and loaded 140,650 cubic metres of LNG, the data showed.
From Reuters • Sep. 15, 2023
But for now, they can only offer simple services like savings and loans, says Kunchou Tsai, a lawyer specialising in fintech at Enlighten Law Group, which is "only the beginning" of their potential.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2022
Ray and his Sedona, Arizona, Waterloo are now the subject of Enlighten Us, a heavily promoted CNN documentary out Thursday.
From Slate • Dec. 1, 2016
He also "had a short stint in politics as the director of communications for an atheist group called Enlighten the Vote, and he co-authored a well-received book mocking creationism, Flock of Dodos."
From The Guardian • Mar. 21, 2013
“You know, I’m curious, Leah. What was your plan for paying for a prom dress? Enlighten me.”
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
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.
