1. Quizzes & Games
  2. Word of the Day
  3. Video
  4. New Words
 

enlighten
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.


en·light·en

transitive verb \in-ˈlī-tən, en-\
en·light·eneden·light·en·ing \-ˈlīt-niŋ, -tən-iŋ\

Definition of ENLIGHTEN

1
archaic : illuminate
2
a : to furnish knowledge to : instruct <enlightened us about the problem>
b : to give spiritual insight to

Examples of ENLIGHTEN

  1. I don't understand what's going on; can someone please enlighten me?
  2. <the lecturer at the planetarium enlightened us about the latest astronomical discoveries>

First Known Use of ENLIGHTEN

1587

Related to ENLIGHTEN

Synonyms
acquaint, advise, apprise, brief, catch up, clear, clue (in), familiarize, fill in, hip, inform, instruct, tell, verse, wise (up), keep (one) posted, let (one) know

Learn More About ENLIGHTEN

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: enlightened
Previous Word in the Dictionary: enlight
All Words Near: enlighten

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up enlighten? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Name That Thing

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Get Our Free Apps
Voice Search, Favorites,
Word of the Day, and More
iPhone | iPad | Android | More
Join Us on FB & Twitter
Get the Word of the Day and More
Facebook | Twitter