illumination
noun
il·lu·mi·na·tion
i-ˌlü-mə-ˈnā-shən 
1
: the action of illuminating or state of being illuminated: such as
a
: spiritual or intellectual enlightenment
b(1)
: a lighting up
(2)
: decorative lighting or lighting effects
c
: decoration by the art of illuminating
2
: the luminous flux per unit area on an intercepting surface at any given point
3
: one of the decorative features used in the art of illuminating or in decorative lighting
Examples of illumination in a Sentence
When taking photographs indoors, use a flash for illumination.
They traveled to the temple in search of spiritual illumination.
an old manuscript with beautiful illuminations
Recent Examples on the Web
While the moment of full illumination is the same worldwide, moonrise and set times vary depending on your location.
—
Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025
One look at a light pollution map proves that remote Capitol Reef, located in south-central Utah, has impressively little artificial illumination.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
With the biggest harvests occurring in the fall, this particular full moon's illumination was especially significant, according to NASA.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
But at a moment when many people are in a perpetual state of gloominess — courtesy of the news, social media doomscrolling or streaming/cable dramas that confuse lack of literal illumination with profundity — the pleasantly sunny escapism is difficult to resent.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illumination
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Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025
One look at a light pollution map proves that remote Capitol Reef, located in south-central Utah, has impressively little artificial illumination.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
With the biggest harvests occurring in the fall, this particular full moon's illumination was especially significant, according to NASA.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
But at a moment when many people are in a perpetual state of gloominess — courtesy of the news, social media doomscrolling or streaming/cable dramas that confuse lack of literal illumination with profundity — the pleasantly sunny escapism is difficult to resent.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illumination
Cite this Entry
“Illumination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illumination. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
illumination
noun
il·lu·mi·na·tion
il-ˌü-mə-ˈnā-shən
1
a
: the action of illuminating or state of being illuminated
b
: amount of light
2
: gold or colored decoration in a manuscript
Medical Definition
illumination
noun
il·lu·mi·na·tion
il-ˌü-mə-ˈnā-shən
1
: the action of supplying or brightening with light or the resulting state
2
: the luminous flux per unit area on an intercepting surface at any given point
called also illuminance
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