enlightened
adjective
en·light·ened
in-ˈlī-tᵊnd 
en-
1
: freed from ignorance and misinformation
an enlightened people
an enlightened time
2
: based on full comprehension of the problems involved
issued an enlightened ruling
Examples of enlightened in a Sentence
an enlightened approach to prison reform
Recent Examples on the Web
During the pandemic, many workers at restaurants with less enlightened owners quit their jobs, Jayaraman noted, signalling their frustration with the low and erratic pay.
—
Eyal Press, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
To cultivate an enlightened society, higher education needs to get serious about upholding liberal values.
—Carla Norrlof, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2019
As the scholar John Ikenberry has noted, the United States’ particular brand of hegemony allowed others to benefit as well, contributing to a relatively enlightened hierarchy that was positive-sum, even if the gains were unequally distributed in Washington’s favor.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 3 Oct. 2019
But Val is an enlightened practitioner of Eastern spirituality who used to be in shipping in Vladivostok.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enlightened
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Eyal Press, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
To cultivate an enlightened society, higher education needs to get serious about upholding liberal values.
—Carla Norrlof, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2019
As the scholar John Ikenberry has noted, the United States’ particular brand of hegemony allowed others to benefit as well, contributing to a relatively enlightened hierarchy that was positive-sum, even if the gains were unequally distributed in Washington’s favor.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 3 Oct. 2019
But Val is an enlightened practitioner of Eastern spirituality who used to be in shipping in Vladivostok.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enlightened
Cite this Entry
“Enlightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enlightened. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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