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
Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026
The coarser shades of red and orange, illuminated by the setting sun on the western portals, color the side of the basilica that depicts Christ’s Passion.
—Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
And there was a true sense of spectacle as lights illuminated different parts of Sagrada Família at one point during the ceremony and drones formed an image of Gaudí in the sky beside it.
—Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 10 June 2026
Still flashing that trademark, if now cosmetically altered, smile, Ronaldinho makes for illuminating company throughout a doc that’s more honest than your average sanitized puff piece.
—Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for illuminate
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Verb
Approved by George Washington and first illuminated in 1791, the lighthouse predates Maine’s statehood and remains an active aid to navigation on the rocky coast of Maine.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026
The coarser shades of red and orange, illuminated by the setting sun on the western portals, color the side of the basilica that depicts Christ’s Passion.
—Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
And there was a true sense of spectacle as lights illuminated different parts of Sagrada Família at one point during the ceremony and drones formed an image of Gaudí in the sky beside it.
—Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 10 June 2026
Still flashing that trademark, if now cosmetically altered, smile, Ronaldinho makes for illuminating company throughout a doc that’s more honest than your average sanitized puff piece.
—Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 10 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 13 Jun. 2026.
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