1
as in explanation
a statement that makes something clear
the candidate's so-called illuminations of his views on a number of controversial issues left many voters in the dark
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2
as in brightness
the quality or state of having or giving off light
in that clime the illumination of the full moon on a clear night is so bright that you can practically read by it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in glow
the steady giving off of the form of radiation that makes vision possible
a steady illumination from the flashlight was all I had while changing the tire
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illumination
What is March's full moon called? March's full moon, also known as the worm moon, will take place on Friday, March 14 and will reach peak illumination by 1:55 a.m. local time, according to the Farmer's Almanac.
—
Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Worm Moon: March 14 March’s full moon will reach peak illumination at 1:55 a.m. on March 14, coinciding with a spectacular celestial event — a total lunar eclipse.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
This technology not only provides improved illumination but gives the front end a high-tech, jewel-like appearance.
—Karl Brauer, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Instead of going with a big, fancy cockpit of OLED or LED graphics and illumination, Kamingo keeps it simple with a featherlight controller that features a knurled mode dial and a small color display for essentials like speed, distance and battery life.
—New Atlas, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for illumination
Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Worm Moon: March 14 March’s full moon will reach peak illumination at 1:55 a.m. on March 14, coinciding with a spectacular celestial event — a total lunar eclipse.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
This technology not only provides improved illumination but gives the front end a high-tech, jewel-like appearance.
—Karl Brauer, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Instead of going with a big, fancy cockpit of OLED or LED graphics and illumination, Kamingo keeps it simple with a featherlight controller that features a knurled mode dial and a small color display for essentials like speed, distance and battery life.
—New Atlas, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for illumination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illumination
Noun
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And in practice, the explanation doesn’t need to be technical.—
Shiva Chandrashekher,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
However, on May 2, the NSF, under the direction of the Trump administration, abruptly terminated our grant without explanation.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Still, you'll be rewarded with top-notch picture processing matched with vibrant brightness and colors, as well as Samsung's pedestal-style floating-screen design and plenty of gaming features.—
Ryan Waniata,
Wired News,
11 July 2025
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Solar geoengineering activities involve cooling the Earth by reflecting sunlight into space through the dispersal of small particles into the upper atmosphere or by increasing the size and brightness of clouds over the ocean, among other ideas.—
Pilar Melendez,
NBC news,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Now my house is awash with the LED glow of charging bulbs that are just waiting for the next power outage to do their trick.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
10 July 2025
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Giambattista Valli—fresh off receiving the title of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters from the French government—basked in the glow of both the honor and an exceptional runway show.—
Ian Malone,
Vogue,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Paul John Edited and Bold highlight different levels of peat, providing Indian interpretations of smoky and peaty malt styles.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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The treaty includes mechanisms for dispute resolution, which both India and Pakistan have used over the years to bring up complaints over technical details and differing interpretations of the treaty's language.—
Betsy Joles,
NPR,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Pinnacle of splendor On Sunday morning, April 27, Venus comes up in total darkness while shining at its greatest brilliancy (magnitude –4.7).—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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So, astronomers have come up with a compromise regarding the geometry of the sun's illumination angle on Venus' disk versus its distance from Earth to determine the time of Venus' greatest brilliancy.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The celebrated Scottish film and screen actor, who was regarded as one of the brightest lights of his generation, died at the age of 40 from AIDS in 1990, and asked that the cause of his death be publicized to promote awareness and acceptance of the illness.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
30 June 2025
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Congress could fund the shortfall from general revenue but that would hardly be prudent in light of the growing national debt.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
30 June 2025
Noun
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In this photo illustration, the logo of Grok 3 is displayed on smartphone screen with xAI logo in the background on February 18, 2025, in Jinan, Shandong Province of China.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
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Throughout the book, the authors, Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor and Andy Chou Musser, were able to display their own voices and illustration styles by each taking on one phase.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Exactly in that single sentence, all of Matt's brilliance tied up into this one thing.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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The duo propelled the decor into the ’50s and ’60s, celebrating the brilliance of Italian masters Giò Ponti, Nanda Vigo, Gae Aulenti and Osvaldo Borsani.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illumination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illumination. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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