lighting

American  

[lahy-ting] / ˈlaɪ tɪŋ /

noun

• lightings
  plural

1. the act of igniting or illuminating.

   the lighting of many candles; the annual lighting of the Christmas tree.

2. the arrangement of lights to achieve particular effects.

   to work out the lighting for one's living room.

3. an effect achieved by the arrangement of lights.

   Several critics praised the lighting of the play.

4. the science, theory, or method of achieving particular effects by the use of lights.

5. the way light falls upon a face, object, etc., especially in a picture.

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lighting British  

/ ˈlaɪtɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or quality of illumination or ignition

2. the apparatus for supplying artificial light effects to a stage, film, or television set

3. the distribution of light on an object or figure, as in painting, photography, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-lighting
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• lightings
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of lighting

First recorded before 1000; Middle English lightinge, Old English līhting; equivalent to light ¹ + -ing ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lighting lightings

Be it with candles or the pine sticks preferred in Sagada, lighting a flame is "inviting the presence of Christ with us, having fellowship with our departed loved ones", he said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

The 40th anniversary of Londonderry's Halloween festival has come to a spectacular close, with a carnival parade and fireworks display lighting up the skies over the River Foyle.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

In this analogy, Anderson would be ironing out logistics like camera angles or lighting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

It is the tallest occupied office building in the city and regularly shines with decorative lighting for special occasions such as the Fourth of July, King Charles III’s birthday, and the New York Knicks championship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Since most of the work took place in early morning, I could supplement my income with a nighttime job, such as lighting lampposts.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

In recent weeks, the 63-year-old leftist has been dancing on stage at rallies, calmly strolling trade expos and attending Christmas tree lightings hand-in-hand with his wife.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025

“Let’s rededicate ourselves to add more light in honor of those murdered in Sydney. Let’s come out proudly to public menorah lightings, and make sure to kindle our own menorahs at home.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2025

You might also like: Other Hanukkah celebrations include nightly lightings of menorahs at Union Market and the Wharf through Dec. 6, and a First Night of Hanukkah party at Metrobar in Edgewood on Nov. 28.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 23, 2021

Menorah lightings grew in prominence during the Clinton years.

From Salon ● Dec. 11, 2020

Seen by daylight, Chitterlow was not nearly such a magnificent figure as he had been by the subdued nocturnal lightings and beneath the glamour of his own interpretation.

From Kipps The Story of a Simple Soul by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

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