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

The most recent fundraising report was the most illuminating on the campaigns’ spending, given the proximity to the mid-August primary. — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 17 July 2026

Yet the real-life conversations that this experience prompts turn out to be moving, surprising, and deeply illuminating. — Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 9 July 2026

That was certainly true of his illuminating and nuanced The American Revolution, the 12-hour documentary series that presented the nation’s founding years in varying degrees of context, and through an array of points of view. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 July 2026

This marks an illuminating midpoint in the retrograde cycle, offering insight into the conversations, memories and emotional patterns that have recently resurfaced. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 21 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