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• illuminati
  illuminati

  plural noun

  persons possessing, or claiming to possess, superior enlightenment.
• Illuminati
  Illuminati

  plural noun

  any of several groups of illuminati, esp in 18th-century France

illuminati

American  

[ih-loo-muh-nah-tee, -ney-tahy] / ɪˌlu məˈnɑ ti, -ˈneɪ taɪ /

plural noun

• illuminato
  singular

1. persons possessing, or claiming to possess, superior enlightenment.

2. (initial capital letter) a name given to different religious societies or sects because of their claim to superior enlightenment.

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Illuminati ¹ British  

/ ɪˌluːmɪˈnɑːtiː /

plural noun

1. any of several groups of illuminati, esp in 18th-century France

2. a group of religious enthusiasts of 16th-century Spain who were persecuted by the Inquisition

3. a masonic sect founded in Bavaria in 1778 claiming that the illuminating grace of Christ resided in it alone

4. a rare name for the Rosicrucians

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illuminati ² British  

/ ɪˌluːmɪˈnɑːtiː /

plural noun

1. a group of persons claiming exceptional enlightenment on some subject, esp religion

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Etymology

Origin of illuminati

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin illūminātī, plural of illūminātus “enlightened”; see illuminate

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

illuminati Illuminati

Several members of the present-day AI illuminati have ties to the university.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

However, with his association with Affleck, I’m worried he’s about to be sucked up into the Boston actor illuminati.

From Slate ● Feb. 10, 2025

In scathing, often florid language, the report compared the board to a "pyramid scheme," a "self-styled illuminati" and a fish that "rots from the head down."

From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2022

The jean jacket, a favorite of the Highland Park IPA illuminati, is free of the problematic associations of the chore coat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2022

"That one," she responded, indicating the one in which the Pennimans themselves lived, "is occupied by one of the illuminati of the city."

From As I Remember Recollections of American Society during the Nineteenth Century by Marian Gouverneur

A common No. 1: an under-one-hour “documentary” titled Illuminati, supposedly produced in 2019 by DOC TV.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2025

Goodie Mob painted with dark lyrics gleaned from a copy of Milton William Cooper’s Illuminati manifesto “Behold a Pale Horse” that Busta Rhymes gave to the group.

From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2024

House of Illuminati canceled the experience midway through its opening day after receiving countless complaints, BBC reported.

From Salon ● Mar. 2, 2024

Organisers House of Illuminati advertised a "journey filled with wondrous creations" in what turned out to be a sparsely-decorated warehouse.

From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2024

I didn’t believe Tyler would really go to college, that he would ever abandon the mountain to join the Illuminati.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover