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Limn is a word with lustrous origins, tracing ultimately to the Latin verb illuminare, meaning "to illuminate." Its use in English dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was used for the action of illuminating (that is, decorating) medieval manuscripts with gold, silver, or brilliant colors. William Shakespeare extended the term to painting in his poem "Venus and Adonis": "Look when a painter would surpass the life / In limning out a well-proportioned steed …" Over time, limn gained a sense synonymous with delineate meaning "to outline in clear sharp detail" before broadening further to mean "to describe or portray." Such limning is often accomplished by words, but not always: actors are often said to limn their characters through their portrayals, while musicians (or their instruments) may limn emotions with the sounds they make.
Examples of limn in a Sentence
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Nuclear rhetoric and threats have limned the almost three and a half years of full-scale war in Ukraine.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Throughout nearly three years of war, the lightning development of drones—and the counter-drone technology to beat each new advancement—has limned the conflict in Ukraine.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2025
Haring limned his oval head, the topknot above a receding hairline, a pair of prominent ears and eyes staring out from behind black-rimmed eyeglasses.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for limn
Cite this Entry
“Limn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/limn. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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