Synonyms

enlighten

American

[en-lahyt-n] / ɛnˈlaɪt n /

verb (used with object)

to give intellectual or spiritual light to; instruct; impart knowledge to.

We hope the results of our research will enlighten our colleagues.

Synonyms:

inform, teach, edify, illumine

Antonyms:

puzzle, perplex, confuse, mystify
Archaic. to shed light upon.

enlighten British

/ ɪnˈlaɪtən /

verb

to give information or understanding to; instruct; edify
to free from ignorance, prejudice, or superstition
to give spiritual or religious revelation to
poetic to shed light on

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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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.

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Vocabulary lists containing enlighten

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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:

enlighten enlightens enlightened enlightening

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

Its narrative offers few character sketches, jumps around in time and digresses into subjects that distract more than they enlighten.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

I can give Bill something that people don’t understand and progress the story and maybe enlighten people.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 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

Perhaps you could enlighten us a bit, sir.'

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Unfortunately, however, the Netflix series obscures on this issue more than it enlightens.

From Slate ● Apr. 30, 2025

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

What it shows us, what it leaves out and which important opportunities it misses are more concerning, all of which are why this hour disappoints more than it enlightens or activate the viewer.

From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2021

When she volunteers to attend what she thinks will be a placid demonstration against coal mining, another member enlightens her: “We don’t really do protests. … We do direct action.”

From New York Times ● May 16, 2019

I will read further, searching until I find an explanation that enlightens me.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

In some caves where enlightened paradise is depicted, it’s utopic: singers and dancers prancing in revelry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

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

If Clausewitz’s dictum is so subtle, complex, and misunderstood, how is the reader being enlightened by being told it is false?

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Nevertheless, it’s an enlightening read in light of how dramatically war has changed in the last two-and-a-half centuries.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

"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

Grammy-winning pianist Robert Glasper’s live performance from 2010 is particularly enlightening: the audience becomes audibly excited the moment they recognize the song’s iconic piano hook, a scene that demonstrates “Sunshine’s” immortality.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

“Once, briefly. It wasn't exactly an enlightening conversation. Mind telling me more?”

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023