limelight

American  

[lahym-lahyt] / ˈlaɪmˌlaɪt /

noun

1. Theater.

   1. (formerly) a lighting unit for spotlighting the front of the stage, producing illumination by means of a flame of mixed gases directed at a cylinder of lime and having a special lens for concentrating the light in a strong beam.

   2. the light so produced.

   3. Chiefly British. a lighting unit, especially a spotlight.

2. the center of public attention, interest, observation, or notoriety.

   He seems fond of the limelight.

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limelight British  

/ ˈlaɪmˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a position of public attention or notice (esp in the phrase in the limelight )

2. 1. a type of lamp, formerly used in stage lighting, in which light is produced by heating lime to white heat

   2. Also called: calcium light.  brilliant white light produced in this way

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Other Word Forms

• limelighter noun

Etymology

Origin of limelight

First recorded in 1820–30; lime ² + light ¹

Example Sentences

The war has put all things energy, including coal, natural gas, and oil, in the limelight.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Such opportunities are rare, and typically occur far from Wall Street and out of the limelight.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

Abroad, successive Iranian presidents have often hogged the limelight.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

“My God, the Nazis knew how to put themselves in the limelight and present themselves,” said Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music in 2007.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

But of course limelight is white, not green—chemical lime, not citrus.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• glare
• prominence
• public eye
• spotlight