enlighten

[ en-lahyt-n ]
/ ɛnˈlaɪt n /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR enlighten ON THESAURUS.COM

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.
Archaic. to shed light upon.

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Origin of enlighten

First recorded in 1350–1400, enlighten is from the Middle English word enli(g)htenen. See en-1, lighten1

OTHER WORDS FROM enlighten

Words nearby enlighten

enl., enlace, enlarge, enlargement, enlarger, enlighten, enlightened, enlightenment, enlil, enlist, enlisted man
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to enlightening

informative, instructional, instructive, broadening, civilizing, edifying, refining, learned, enriching, uplifting, cultural, educative, illuminative, scholarly, scholastic

Example sentences from the Web for enlightening

British Dictionary definitions for enlightening

enlighten
/ (ɪnˈlaɪtən) /

verb (tr)

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

Derived forms of enlighten

enlightener, nounenlightening, adjective
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