il·lu·mi·nate
i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnāt 
illuminated; illuminating
1
a(1)
: to supply or brighten with light
candles illuminating a church
(2)
: to make luminous or shining
b
: to enlighten spiritually or intellectually
a career educator who illuminated hundreds of students
c
: to subject to radiation
d
archaic
: to set alight
2
3
: to make illustrious or resplendent
4
: to decorate (something, such as a manuscript) with gold or silver or brilliant colors or with often elaborate designs or miniature pictures
il·lu·mi·nate
i-ˈlü-mə-nət
1
archaic
: brightened with light
2
archaic
: intellectually or spiritually enlightened
il·lu·mi·nate
i-ˈlü-mə-nət
archaic
: one having or claiming unusual enlightenment
Examples of illuminate in a Sentence
Verb
the part of the moon illuminated by the sun
A university study has illuminated the problem.
Recent Examples on the Web
ABC News, 17 June 2026
From award-winning filmmakers Robert Gordon and Joe Lauro, and drawn entirely from rare and previously unseen archival footage, Newport & The Great Folk Dream shows how music can illuminate struggle, inspire courage and stir passionate controversy.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 17 June 2026
The unveiling will take place during Cramerton’s community-wide celebration, where the bridge over the South Fork River will be illuminated to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary — creating a vibrant focal point in the heart of the town.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 June 2026
From anecdotes about living on location in the Nevada desert to shopping it around to distributors on videotape, their accounts illuminate the film’s winding path from a gutsy grassroots project to a Sundance hit that changed how lesbian love stories were shown on the big screen.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for illuminate
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Verb
Drawing on inquisitorial records, Ginzburg showed how power and resistance are embedded in the same documents, using small-scale cases to illuminate broader tensions between elite and popular culture, and between authority and dissent.
—ABC News, 17 June 2026
From award-winning filmmakers Robert Gordon and Joe Lauro, and drawn entirely from rare and previously unseen archival footage, Newport & The Great Folk Dream shows how music can illuminate struggle, inspire courage and stir passionate controversy.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 17 June 2026
The unveiling will take place during Cramerton’s community-wide celebration, where the bridge over the South Fork River will be illuminated to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary — creating a vibrant focal point in the heart of the town.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 June 2026
From anecdotes about living on location in the Nevada desert to shopping it around to distributors on videotape, their accounts illuminate the film’s winding path from a gutsy grassroots project to a Sundance hit that changed how lesbian love stories were shown on the big screen.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for illuminate
Cite this Entry
“Illuminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illuminate. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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