enlightened

play

adjective en·light·ened \in-ˈlī-t^ənd, en-\

Definition of enlightened

1 : freed from ignorance and misinformation an enlightened people an enlightened time
2 : based on full comprehension of the problems involved issued an enlightened ruling

See enlightened defined for English-language learners

Examples of enlightened in a Sentence

an enlightened approach to prison reform

Recent Examples of enlightened from the Web

Under their guidance, the United States acted with selflessness and enlightened self-interest.

— dino grandoni, Washington Post, "The Energy 202: Trump's Paris speech needs a serious fact check", 2 June 2017
Good for students who have more enlightened activities to spend money on than prom night.

— katie anastas, The Seattle Times, "No regrets: Readers share stories of skipping senior prom", 1 June 2017
Although Trump's campaign has been decidedly anti-immigrant — build a wall, shut down Muslim immigration — Conway has a rather enlightened view on this matter.

— michael sebastian, Cosmopolitan, "Who Is Kellyanne Conway? 20 Things to Know About Donald Trump's Presidential Counselor.", 30 May 2017
But, not to fear, a six-speed manual comes standard for those enlightened enough to appreciate it, complete with the marvelous shifter gates.

— stuart schwartzapfel, WIRED, "Review: Lamborghini LP550-2 Gallardo Spyder", 7 Sep. 2012

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'enlightened'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.