spotlight
Americannoun
-
spotlights
plural
-
a strong, focused light thrown upon a particular spot, as on a small area of a stage or in a television studio, for making some object, person, or group especially conspicuous.
-
a lamp for producing such a light.
-
a brilliant light with a focused beam, mounted on the side of an automobile and used for illuminating objects not within range of the headlights.
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the area of immediate or conspicuous public attention.
Asia is in the spotlight now.
verb (used with object)
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spotlights,
present (3rd person singular)
-
spotlighted,
past participle, past
-
spotlit,
past participle, past
-
spotlighting
present participle
-
to direct the beam of a spotlight upon; light with a spotlight.
-
to make conspicuous; call attention to.
Newspapers spotlighted the story for a week.
-
to hunt (animals) using a spotlight in order to temporarily blind or confuse them.
verb (used without object)
-
spotlights,
present (3rd person singular)
-
spotlighted,
past participle, past
-
spotlit,
past participle, past
-
spotlighting
present participle
noun
-
a powerful light focused so as to illuminate a small area, usually mounted so that it can be directed at will
-
the focus of attention
verb
-
to direct a spotlight on
-
to focus attention on
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
spotlightsimple
-
spotlightssimple
-
have spotlightedperfect
-
have spotlitperfect
-
has spotlightedperfect
-
has spotlitperfect
-
am spotlightingprogressive
-
are spotlightingprogressive
-
is spotlightingprogressive
-
have been spotlightingperfect progressive
-
has been spotlightingperfect progressive
Past
-
spotlightedsimple
-
spotlitsimple
-
had spotlightedperfect
-
had spotlitperfect
-
was spotlightingprogressive
-
were spotlightingprogressive
-
had been spotlightingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of spotlight
Explanation
A spotlight is a bright beam of light that shines on people on stage. Actors and rock stars love spending time in the spotlight when they’re performing, but if they’re famous they’re in the spotlight all the time. If you star in the school play, you'll be in a literal spotlight, illuminated on the stage while you sing your big solo number. If some day you're elected President of the United States, you'll be in a figurative spotlight, at the center of intense attention by the public. You can also call this limelight. Lighting experts often call spotlights followspots.
Vocabulary lists containing spotlight
Theater - Introductory
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Theater - Middle School
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Theater - High School
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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.
See Examples For:
The announcement comes with a renewed spotlight on the death penalty in the United States, one of the few wealthy countries to retain capital punishment.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
The movie, loosely based on Avedon’s life, catapulted him into the spotlight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Add to that, Sing was brought up on a Devon sheep farm and is not a huge fan of the media spotlight.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Mr. Makos gives his supporting players time in the spotlight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Then she added a spotlight and a stage and lots of clapping to her imagination.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
Your daily dive into MarketWatch, featuring story spotlights, market movers and more you Need To Know to start your day.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
That the case spotlights this kind of story at all is important in its own right.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
The paper also spotlights the Chief Rabbi's words, who called it "truly a dark day for British Jews".
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
A survey of the Young British Artist spotlights the intimacy and boldness that have characterized her vision, as well as the ripening wisdom of her latest work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
And next to it is a floor lamp, a long black pole with three oval spotlights attached like the broad leaves of a rubber plant.
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
Followers have been suggesting spots in their own cities where crashes are frequent and they believe the problem should be spotlighted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Home Depot and other big retailers’ earnings have long been spotlighted as an indicator of the current health of the U.S. consumer — especially as borrowing costs have hit multiyear highs.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
While the decade’s counterculture gets most of the press, some of the best pop spotlighted more intimate stories set in America’s heartland.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Zuckerberg spotlighted a new Muse Spark AI model built by Meta's nascent "Superintelligence Lab", saying its technology will be put to work in Meta's offerings such as smartglasses and its advertising system.
From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026
It was sponsored by a Norwegian reporter, Mrs. Jorumn Rickets, who had set it up with Ernie, Minnijean, and me, and the group spotlighted as staunch troublemakers: Sammy Dean Parker, Kaye Bacon, and their crowd.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Then Cruise appeared, spotlit atop the stadium’s curved roofline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2024
Behind its chain-link fence, I can see the headquarters of the company that contracts with the county to maintain the roads, its darkened windows, the American flag on the flagpole spotlit, dangling.
From Slate ● Apr. 29, 2023
While the previous songs she’s released from the record have been glitchy and ethereal — think hyperpop crossed with “Visions”-era Grimes — “Nike” is all woozy low-end and spotlit swagger.
From New York Times ● Sep. 2, 2022
One species in particular gets spotlit in the new report: beavers.
From The Verge ● Dec. 14, 2021
The jaunty, loose phrasing of the songs allowed space for electrifying dance solos, always in observance of good jazz etiquette, with the ensemble growing quiet while the spotlit artist tore up the floor.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 4, 2021
The agency reported that the violations included unlawful take of female deer, taking deer without licenses or tags, possession of untagged meat, possession of loaded firearms in a vehicle, illegal method of take and spotlighting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
“Vanderpump Rules” alum Jax Taylor blamed an “honest mistake” after posting an unauthorized #partner campaign for Smartwater, spotlighting vulnerabilities in third-party influencer platforms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
ESA's Mars Express mission is spotlighting Shalbatana Vallis this month, an enormous Martian valley marked by evidence of ancient water, volcanic activity, impact craters, and collapsed terrain.
From Science Daily ● May 15, 2026
A new art gallery spotlighting artwork by artists from the South Asian diaspora is to open to the public this week.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
Whether or not museums chose to change the wall labels next to some of Vermeer’s paintings, the public had done an amazing job of spotlighting any possible fraud.
From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett
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