enlightened

adjective en·light·ened \ in-ˈlī-tᵊnd , en- \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Examples: enlightened in a Sentence

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

When Obama did these things, he was described as enlightened.

— fabiola santiago, miamiherald, "The Trump-Rubio politics of hypocrisy: Cuba, no deal. North Korea? ‘Has great beaches.’," 12 June 2018
The relatively enlightened physician and philosopher John Locke probably did not believe in fairies, yet did speculate at great length on the souls of the mentally disabled, and whether or not they should be classed as a different species.

— Longreads, "Fairy Scapegoats: A History of the Persecution of Changeling Children," 9 June 2018
But there's a guy in the kitchen orchestrating an enlightened menu that pays subtle tributes to the owner's heritage while also reflecting the astonishing diversity of Houston.

— greg morago, Houston Chronicle, "Poitin ready to charm its way into Houston foodie hearts," 10 May 2018
The graphic details of the women's stories seemed even more stark considering the enlightened-man elements of his biography and his standing on the Upper West Side, the city's traditional bastion of its most liberal-minded voters.

— author: jesse mckinley, Anchorage Daily News, "New York attorney general’s reputation went from ‘wouldn’t get a bawdy joke’ to cad overnight," 9 May 2018
As well as enlightened self-interest and rigorous verification, arms-control agreements depend on a degree of trust that the parties to them will honour their commitments even when governments change.

— The Economist, "Old deals to limit nuclear weapons are fraying. They may not be repaired," 5 May 2018
Welfare liberalism, broadly defined, is in virtually every American’s enlightened self-interest.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Affluent Democrats Aren’t an Obstacle to Economic Populism," 20 Apr. 2018
Because the fact is, even the most enlightened progressives have difficulty squaring theory and real life, and most #MeToo stories don’t come prepackaged with outsize villains.

— anna silman, The Cut, "What Can We Learn From Transparent’s #MeToo Mess?," 8 May 2018
The technologically enlightened Boros would send data about each game to a mainframe in Philadelphia, then retrieve updated analysis the following day.

— bruce schoenfeld, New York Times, "The Mets Try the Personal Touch," 25 Apr. 2018

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.

First Known Use of enlightened

1578

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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ENLIGHTENED Defined for English Language Learners

enlightened

adjective

Definition of enlightened for English Language Learners

: having or showing a good understanding of how people should be treated : not ignorant or narrow in thinking

Learn More about enlightened

Nglish: Translation of enlightened for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of enlightened for Arabic speakers

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enlightened

Definition of enlightened

Examples of enlightened in a Sentence

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ENLIGHTENED Defined for English Language Learners

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