illuminate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to supply or brighten with light; light up.
-
to make lucid or clear; throw light on (a subject).
-
to decorate with lights, as in celebration.
-
to enlighten, as with knowledge.
-
to make resplendent or illustrious.
A smile illuminated her face.
-
to decorate (a manuscript, book, etc.) with colors and gold or silver, as was often done in the Middle Ages.
verb (used without object)
-
to display lights, as in celebration.
-
to become illuminated.
adjective
-
Archaic. illuminated.
-
Obsolete. enlightened.
noun
verb
-
(tr) to throw light in or into; light up
to illuminate a room
-
(tr) to make easily understood; clarify
-
to adorn, decorate, or be decorated with lights
-
(tr) to decorate (a letter, page, etc) by the application of colours, gold, or silver
-
(intr) to become lighted up
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
- illuminatingly adverb
- illuminative adjective
- illuminator noun
- preilluminate verb (used with object)
- reilluminate verb
- semi-illuminated adjective
- unilluminated adjective
Etymology
Origin of illuminate
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin illūminātus, past participle of illūmināre “to light up, brighten”; illumine ( def. ), -ate 1 ( def. )
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.
While specific variants may be enriched in particular Indian subpopulations, the biological pathways they illuminate are universal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
The streetlights illuminate what looks like fog, and you can see little particles of dust and debris swirling around.
From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026
Sparks illuminate the soot-covered studio of Japanese swordsmith Akihira Kawasaki as his apprentice hammers red-hot steel, showcasing a millennium-old craft now enjoying a resurgence in popularity.
From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026
Was there a certain story — one that hasn’t been told about the city — that you wanted to illuminate?
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026
And when the house has been dead quiet for a while, I push the button on my clock that makes the time illuminate: 2:17 A.M.
From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone
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.
