enlightening

adjective

en·​light·​en·​ing in-ˈlīt-niŋ 

-ˈlī-tᵊn-iŋ, 

en-

: providing or tending to provide knowledge, understanding, or insight

a very enlightening discussion

… he takes readers on enlightening excursions through the nature of Judaism, Hegelian philosophy, wherever his curiosity heads.

—George Johnson

enlighteningly adverb

Synonyms of enlightening

• instructive
• informative
• educational
• educative
• instructional
• informational
• illuminating

Examples of enlightening in a Sentence

an enlightening pamphlet about the major changes that consumers can expect from their cable and Internet service providers

Recent Examples on the Web

This stop alone makes the day trip fun and enlightening, especially for those of us who cannot tell a saw from a nail. —Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025

As beautiful and enlightening as the recent James Webb Space Telescope pictures are, astronomy and astrophysics aren’t going to keep the seas from rising. —Big Think, 28 Nov. 2025

In testing these first two concepts, the team of scientists arrived at some very enlightening and surprising results. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2025

The journey has been enlightening and exhilarating—but the most thrilling part is still to come. —Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for enlightening

• brightening
• frightening
• heightening
• lightening
• tightening
• whitening