enlightening

[ en-lahyt-n-ing ]

/ ɛnˈlaɪt n ɪŋ /

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See synonyms for enlightening on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of enlightening

First recorded in 1570–80; enlighten + -ing²

OTHER WORDS FROM enlightening

en·light·en·ing·ly, adverbnon·en·light·en·ing, adjectiveun·en·light·en·ing, adjective

Words nearby enlightening

enlarge, enlargement, enlarger, enlighten, enlightened, enlightening, enlightenment, Enlil, enlist, enlisted man, enlisted woman

How to use enlightening in a sentence

Meyer inverted the traditional hierarchy that placed the customer first, creating a philosophy that he called “enlightened hospitality,” which argued that to make diners happy a business had first to make employees happy.
Danny Meyer wants to bring everyone to the table after a fractious election. Twitter says: Too soon.|Tim Carman|November 9, 2020|Washington Post
The book is a critical study of the allegories Americans have lived by for more than two centuries, and how they continue to both enlighten and steer us wrong.
Noble virtues, bad history: How Greece and Rome influenced America’s founders|Charles King|November 6, 2020|Washington Post
But one of the most enlightening experiences was realizing how close all of this hits to home.
A Rallying Cry Against the Oversexualization of Our Youth|Darryl Roberts|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The resulting text is both social commentary and annotated memoir—equal parts enlightening and enjoyable but sharp throughout.
This Week’s Hot Reads: March 18, 2013|Jimmy So, G. Clay Whittaker|March 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST

All in all, it was about as enlightening and informative than your usual presidential press conference.
Fiscal Cliff, Day 27: #Stalemate|Daniel Gross|December 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Yet it is occasionally enlightening to see that attitude given such clear and unequivocal expression.
Meanwhile, On The West Bank…|Emily L. Hauser|November 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Reading this revealing book was both upsetting and enlightening and made me proud of my father for his foresight and courage.
My Father's Peace Proposal|Raja Shehadeh|November 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Not even the description of Wilbur had proved very enlightening.
Riders of the Silences|John Frederick
He had been fond of talking to her about it, and enlightening her on some of its leading principles.
A Houseful of Girls|Sarah Tytler
Owing to an overcast sky, the view was not a great deal more enlightening than that which we had had from below.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
I think there were on the island (now occupied by the statue of Liberty Enlightening the World) about three hundred recruits.
The Memoirs of General P. H. Sheridan, Complete|General Philip Henry Sheridan
Val felt instantly he was laughing at her for a kind of travesty of Liberty Enlightening the World.
The Open Question|Elizabeth Robins