enlightenment
noun
en·light·en·ment
in-ˈlī-tᵊn-mənt 
en-
1
: the act or means of enlightening : the state of being enlightened
2
capitalized
: a philosophical movement of the 18th century marked by a rejection of traditional social, religious, and political ideas and an emphasis on rationalism
—used with the
3
Buddhism
: a final blessed state marked by the absence of desire or suffering
Examples of enlightenment in a Sentence
the search for spiritual enlightenment
His comments failed to provide enlightenment.
the enlightenment of the public through education
Recent Examples on the Web
This fossil could help provide more scientific enlightenments in the future.
—
Justin Klawans, theweek, 15 July 2024
As previously reported, a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the Galactic Republic and its Jedi masters symbolized the epitome of enlightenment and peace.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 4 May 2024
And so, the argument goes, Islamic societies need their own enlightenment to wrest them back to the future.
—John M. Owen Iv, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2015
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the Galactic Republic and its Jedi masters symbolized the epitome of enlightenment and peace.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for enlightenment 
Justin Klawans, theweek, 15 July 2024
As previously reported, a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the Galactic Republic and its Jedi masters symbolized the epitome of enlightenment and peace.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 4 May 2024
And so, the argument goes, Islamic societies need their own enlightenment to wrest them back to the future.
—John M. Owen Iv, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2015
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the Galactic Republic and its Jedi masters symbolized the epitome of enlightenment and peace.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for enlightenment
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enlightenment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near enlightenment
Cite this Entry
“Enlightenment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enlightenment. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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