enlightened
Britishadjective
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factually well-informed, tolerant of alternative opinions, and guided by rational thought
an enlightened administration
enlightened self-interest
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privy to or claiming a sense of spiritual or religious revelation of truth
the search for an enlightened spiritual master
Explanation
Have you ever thought long and hard about a problem and then, suddenly, experienced an "ah-ha!" moment? If your answer is yes, then congratulations! You were enlightened or in possession of a clear understanding of what was otherwise mysterious. The word enlightened comes from the Latin prefix en meaning "in, into" and the word lux meaning "light." Combine these meanings — "into the light" — and you're describing what it is that characterizes an enlightened person: a sense of clarity and understanding. People often seek to be enlightened spiritually, by taking pilgrimages, meditating, or looking to spiritual gurus like the Dalai Lama.
Vocabulary lists containing enlightened
Matilda
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The Monroe Doctrine (1823)
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The Enlightenment
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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.
She has worked closely with White in the past - first on 2007 film Year of the Dog, then co-creating TV comedy-drama Enlightened with him.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
Dern and White have previously worked together on HBO's "Enlightened" and the comedy-drama "Year of the Dog."
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
Enlightened self-interest is the root from which Rousseau’s philosophical forest flourishes.
From Salon • Jul. 12, 2025
A main piece of evidence in the suit is a screenshot of a single Facebook user who appears to find similarities between scripted content used by Soulmate and scripted content used by Enlightened.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023
The Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened was unlike other schools.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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.
