alight

1 of 2

verb

alighted also alit ə-ˈlit How to pronounce alight (audio) ; alighting

intransitive verb

1
: to come down from something (such as a vehicle): such as
a
: dismount
They alighted from the bus.
b
2
: to descend from or as if from the air and come to rest : land, settle
The bird alighted on a branch.
snow alighting on a roof
3
archaic : to come by chance
alightment noun

alight

2 of 2

adjective

1
chiefly British : being on fire
2
: lighted up
The sky was alight with stars.

Examples of alight in a Sentence

Verb A group of tourists alighted from the boat. a flock of eight swans circled above, then alighted on the pond Adjective The sky was alight with stars. Enemy soldiers set the building alight.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
To some extent those thought processes—weighing evidence, sifting through thousands of potentially important pieces of data and alighting on a few, handling uncertainty, employing the elusive but essential quality of insight—are amenable to machine learning, but much handcrafting is also involved. IEEE Spectrum, 29 May 2015 This week, the 45-year-old magazine/website/social platform/events operator alighted in Palm Desert, Calif., for its annual Inc. 5000 shindig, three days of celebrating the little guy in a time of corporate gigantism. David Bloom, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Reuters — The man accused of dousing in petrol and setting alight Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei has died from burns sustained during the fatal attack on the Ugandan athlete, a hospital official said on Tuesday. Reuters, CNN, 10 Sep. 2024 As nightfall fell upon Europe, images were already surfacing on social media of towns and countries on mainland Europe, such as Austria and Italy, being alight with bright pink spires rising high above the horizon. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for alight 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English alighten "to descend, get off (of), dismount," going back to Old English alīhtan (transitive) "to lighten, relieve," (intransitive) "to descend, get off (of)," from a-, perfective prefix + līhtan "to make lighter, descend, dismount" — more at abide, light entry 6

Adjective

Middle English alyht, alight, past participle of alighten "to set on fire, kindle, shed spiritual light on," going back to Old English alīhtan "to illuminate, light up," from a-, perfective prefix + līhtan "to shed light, set on fire" — more at abide, light entry 3

Note: In Modern English reanalyzed as a- entry 1 + light entry 1, by analogy with ablaze, afire, aflame.

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of alight was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Alight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alight. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

alight

1 of 2 verb
alighted
-ˈlīt-əd
also alit ə-ˈlit How to pronounce alight (audio) ; alighting
1
: to get down : dismount
2
: to descend from the air and settle : land
the bird alighted on a twig

alight

2 of 2 adjective
: full of light : lighted up
the sky was alight with stars

More from Merriam-Webster on alight

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