enlighten

[ en-lahyt-n ]

See synonyms for enlighten on Thesaurus.com

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.
Archaic. to shed light upon.

Origin of enlighten

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English enli(g)htenen; see en-¹, lighten¹

Other words for enlighten

1	illumine, edify, teach, inform

See synonyms for enlighten on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for enlighten

1	mystify, confuse, perplex, puzzle

See antonyms for enlighten on Thesaurus.com

Other words from enlighten

en·light·ened·ly, adverb
en·light·ened·ness, noun
en·light·en·er, noun
non·en·light·ened, adjective
pre·en·light·en, verb (used with object)
pre·en·light·en·er, noun
re·en·light·en, verb (used with object)
un·en·light·ened, adjective
well-en·light·ened, adjective

Words Nearby enlighten

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use enlighten in a sentence

Maybe some of you Brits who followed me over from the dear old Graun could enlighten.
Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing. | Michael Tomasky | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Creator Rod Serling was compelled by the need “not to just entertain but to enlighten.”
How a War-Weary Vet Created ‘The Twilight Zone’ | Rich Goldstein | November 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
With Sinclair as our non-judgmental guide, we see that these revelations are not meant to shock us but, perhaps, enlighten us.
‘High Maintenance,’ Like a Good High, Is Funny and Sometimes Unsettling | Caitlin Dickson | November 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
They're supposed to give audiences hope and enlighten them while promoting positive emotions.
Inside ‘Leviathan’: Russian Filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Award-Winning Anti-Putin Cannes Film | Richard Porton | May 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Can someone please enlighten me: is Girls supposed to be serious?
Why ‘Girls’ Is Bad for Women | Emma Woolf | March 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

We certainly do intend to deal fairly with Liberia, and give the reader every information that may tend to enlighten them.
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States | Martin R. Delany
Jack shivered as he recalled the Rev. Charles Mason's picture of that home, but he would not enlighten her.
The Cromptons | Mary J. Holmes
Juana, too late aware of our laws and habits and administrative customs, did not enlighten her husband soon enough.
Juana | Honore de Balzac
Sensible and peaceable people enlighten themselves; their light spreads itself gradually, and in time reaches the people.
Superstition In All Ages (1732) | Jean Meslier
Man is so little enlightened to-day only because we had the precaution or the good fortune to enlighten him little by little.
Superstition In All Ages (1732) | Jean Meslier

British Dictionary definitions for enlighten

enlighten

/ (ɪnˈlaɪtən) /

verb(tr)

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

Derived forms of enlighten

enlightener, noun
enlightening, adjective

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

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