enlighten
Americanverb (used with object)
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enlightens,
present (3rd person singular)
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enlightened,
past participle, past
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enlightening
present participle
verb
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to give information or understanding to; instruct; edify
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to free from ignorance, prejudice, or superstition
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to give spiritual or religious revelation to
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poetic to shed light on
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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enlightenednessnoun
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enlightenernoun
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preenlightenernoun
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preenlightenverb (used with object)
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reenlightenverb (used with object)
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enlighteningadjective
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nonenlightenedadjective
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unenlightenedadjective
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well-enlightenedadjective
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enlightenedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enlightensimple
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enlightenssimple
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have enlightenedperfect
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has enlightenedperfect
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am enlighteningprogressive
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are enlighteningprogressive
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is enlighteningprogressive
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have been enlighteningperfect progressive
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has been enlighteningperfect progressive
Past
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enlightenedsimple
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had enlightenedperfect
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was enlighteningprogressive
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were enlighteningprogressive
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had been enlighteningperfect progressive
Future
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.
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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The Titan's Curse
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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:
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
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
The next two trips to the conference room passed without incident, but the interviews continued to enlighten me.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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
Patrick Carone, a former editor at Abercrombie’s quarterly magazine, enlightens viewers on the concept of a mall: “Imagine, like, a search engine that you could walk through.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2022
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
Must-see TV: When They See Us, Ava DuVernay’s miniseries about the lives at the heart of the Central Park Five, informs and enlightens audiences—but as Willa Paskin reviews, entertainment is not its core purpose.
From Slate ● May 30, 2019
I will read further, searching until I find an explanation that enlightens me.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
When you see a really good player, that’s a rara avis — an enlightened individual.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 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
Being a deeply enlightened and attuned individual, she offers up her age before I can ask: 53.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
“He’s eleven. Have you ever known a boy his age who talks the way he does? A great deal of it comes from living in such an enlightened atmosphere.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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
Our critic said the show “stakes out enlightening new ground” in its exploration of “one of the most influential figures in modern art history.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 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
“Let’s just say it’s been an enlightening few days,” I reply.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
