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.
-
the area of immediate or conspicuous public attention.
Asia is in the spotlight now.
verb (used with object)
-
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 issue will be in the spotlight at the COP31 climate summit in Turkey next month, with the hosts saying they will push for "climate-responsible AI".
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Guilfoyle’s resignation caps an unusual, decades-long run in the public spotlight that has captivated many, particularly in California, where she was formerly married to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
The couple has otherwise kept their romance largely out of the spotlight, despite reportedly having been together for several years.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
A recent public disagreement between the board of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata group and Tata Trusts, its principal shareholder, has put a spotlight on the conglomerate.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
The setting sun cast a bright spotlight across my bedroom wall.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
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
But if the building appears to predict a series of high-tech galleries, tricked out with holograms, audio spotlights or mixed reality rooms, the Lucas museum is surprisingly old-school.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
The move revealed that Strategy cares deeply about its preferred shares’ market prices, despite not using them in the mNAV metric that it spotlights for investors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
There were metal guards over the headlights and tail- lights, and four large spotlights attached to the crash bar.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
Across roughly 160 paid robot hours and nearly 100 cleanings, Tau’s early runs have spotlighted the unpredictability of operating human-shaped robots in the real world.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 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
While Wilson drew the most attention, the 58th edition of the nation’s premier high school track and field meet also spotlighted many of the Southland’s finest athletes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026
The long battering ram lay unguarded, conveniently spotlighted by the rats’ abandoned torches.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Then Cruise appeared, spotlit atop the stadium’s curved roofline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2024
Summer, 1954 With her paper-cluttered desk spotlit underneath a pendant lamp, Margaret Mead’s office in the western turret in the American Museum of Natural History resembled a Broadway theater set.
From Slate ● Feb. 10, 2024
One species in particular gets spotlit in the new report: beavers.
From The Verge ● Dec. 14, 2021
The show is titled “The Journey Home,” and it is not small: more than two dozen paintings, works on paper and overpainted photographs, installed across two floors, melodramatically spotlit.
From New York Times ● Nov. 5, 2021
It was also being spotlit by 1441 L St. I stood in the iridescent shaft and delighted in the shadow I cast.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 20, 2019
The art world is increasingly sleuthing and spotlighting these overlooked sitters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
"Red card for Infantino" writes the Daily Mirror, spotlighting the man at the centre of the maelstrom: Fifa boss Gianni Infantino.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Typically, the messaging about the sporting event spotlighting the country’s greatness comes from the top down.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
But the overall vibe on “The Late Show” this week has centered on celebration and spotlighting the show’s comedic formula.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
Sunlight filtered through the canopy of large trees, spotlighting the forest.
From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen
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