persons possessing, or claiming to possess, superior enlightenment.
(initial capital letter) a name given to different religious societies or sects because of their claim to superior enlightenment.
any of several groups of illuminati, esp in 18th-century France
a group of religious enthusiasts of 16th-century Spain who were persecuted by the Inquisition
a masonic sect founded in Bavaria in 1778 claiming that the illuminating grace of Christ resided in it alone
a rare name for the Rosicrucians
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin illūminātī, plural of illūminātus “enlightened”; see illuminate
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A common No. 1: an under-one-hour “documentary” titled Illuminati, supposedly produced in 2019 by DOC TV.
From Slate • Sep. 22, 2025
Goodie Mob painted with dark lyrics gleaned from a copy of Milton William Cooper’s Illuminati manifesto “Behold a Pale Horse” that Busta Rhymes gave to the group.
From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2024
House of Illuminati canceled the experience midway through its opening day after receiving countless complaints, BBC reported.
From Salon • Mar. 2, 2024
House of Illuminati, said in a post on Facebook it was "truly sorry" and had been let down in "many areas" and tried their best to continue.
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2024
Dad said that to accept one was to indebt yourself to the Illuminati.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
