illuminating

adjective

il·​lu·​mi·​nat·​ing i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnā-tiŋ 

: providing insight, clarity, or understanding : highly informative

an illuminating remark/discussion

… much of the information is quite illuminating …

—Glenn Kenny

illuminatingly adverb

Synonyms of illuminating

• instructive
• informative
• educational
• educative
• instructional
• informational

Examples of illuminating in a Sentence

the show is an illuminating tutorial on ways to prepare popular dishes using wholesome ingredients

Recent Examples on the Web

But her fuller response is more illuminating. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 23 May 2026

The last episode involved horrifying doll monsters and a very illuminating mushroom trip. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026

The monitor has stunning contrast as well, with 1000 nit peak brightness to bring out the both the most illuminating and darkest corners of the screen. — George Yang, PC Magazine, 19 June 2026

The breakdowns were elegant and illuminating. — Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 18 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of illuminate entry 1

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for illuminating

• accelerating
• accentuating
• accommodating
• accumulating
• adjudicating
• administrating
• affiliating
• agglutinating
• alienating
• alleviating
• amalgamating
• ameliorating