enlightening

[en-lahyt-n-ing]

adjective

1. informative, instructive, or eye-opening; giving intellectual or spiritual light.

   You are encouraged to watch this very enlightening video to better understand what small family farms are up against.

Other Word Forms

• enlighteningly adverb
• nonenlightening adjective
• unenlightening adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of enlightening¹

First recorded in 1570–80; enlighten ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

But an enlightening conversation with his father, who died in 2022, made it “make sense for my psyche.”

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Pulling a person’s coat means putting them on, enlightening them with the knowledge they need to better their living experience.

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Time can also be enlightening, and the value each person assigns to it can vary significantly.

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Kushins’ comprehensive, enlightening biography of Elmore Leonard, dubbed the Dickens of Detroit.

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The series, which will conclude its three-episode second season on Thursday, plays like a video postcard of silly and enlightening adventures as O’Brien travels around the world to meet with fans and experience different cultures.

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Related Words

• informative 
• instructional www.thesaurus.com
• instructive