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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

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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

"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 14–18

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Ronald Reagan, "Tear Down This Wall" (1987)

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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.

When you get a varied body of work, it can enlighten your own life in a way, and that’s a great feeling.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 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

“I have committed my life to initiatives related to Stanley’s life and death that can enlighten and support others and save lives,” Lucas said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2025

Because I break bread with and claim to be part of this marked construct, this otherness, complete with jail time within the carceral state, allow me to enlighten you.

From Salon • Jan. 1, 2024

He said he would take it upon himself to enlighten each of them enough so that they wouldn’t allow themselves to be used.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

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