enlightenment

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noun en·light·en·ment \ in-ˈlī-tᵊn-mənt , en- \

Definition of enlightenment

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

See enlightenment defined for English-language learners

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 of enlightenment from the Web

Tucked like a jewel into the mighty Himalayas, the mountain kingdom of Bhutan has rarely commanded the world’s gaze, its hillside monasteries and emerald valleys long known only to select travelers seeking adventure or enlightenment.

— shashank bengali, latimes.com, "As China and India tussle in South Asia, a pristine mountain kingdom is caught in the middle," 28 Aug. 2017
This enlightenment came about because the Boy Scouts –

— petula dvorak, Washington Post, "Don’t fall for it, Girl Scouts. The boys only want you to save their own hides.," 24 Aug. 2017
As Woodstock did in its inaugural summer of ’69, the Lovelight Festival hopes to bring enlightenment and the arts to an aching country.

— valentina valentini, Billboard, "Woodstock Co-founder Michael Lang on Plans to Grow Activism With Lovelight Festival," 17 Aug. 2017
And in Descartes’ dark forest of metaphysical confusion, enlightenment comes only when sunbeams break through the canopy.

— ross andersen, The Atlantic, "The Eclipse as Dark Omen," 10 Aug. 2017
The challenge of his generation was the enlightenment which ensnared the Jewish people and caused rampant assimilation.

— rabbi avi weiss, Jewish Journal, "Weiss: The challenges of life in exile," 31 July 2017
Yet Brady’s racial enlightenment never extended to giving a nonwhite a fair chance to defeat him in the First District.

— will bunch, Philly.com, "How Brady's blind ambition could kill Obamacare," 31 July 2017
So have Westerners seeking enlightenment, ever since the Beatles went in 1968 to study Transcendental Meditation with the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

— jessica ravitz, CNN, "The guru's gift: Staying calm in a world of chaos," 19 July 2017
Guénon thought that the way to bring about spiritual enlightenment was to convert small groups of elites who would go forth and spread his philosophy.

— vanityfair.com, "Inside the Secret, Strange Origins of Steve Bannon’s Nationalist Fantasia," 17 July 2017

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

First Known Use of enlightenment

1621

Other Philosophy Terms

dialectic, dualism, epistemology, existentialism, metaphysics, ontology, sequitur, solipsism, transcendentalism

ENLIGHTENMENT Defined for English Language Learners

enlightenment

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noun

Definition of enlightenment for English Language Learners

: the state of having knowledge or understanding : the act of giving someone knowledge or understanding
the Enlightenment : a movement of the 18th century that stressed the belief that science and logic give people more knowledge and understanding than tradition and religion
Buddhism : a final spiritual state marked by the absence of desire or suffering

Learn More about enlightenment

Spanish Central: Translation of enlightenment Nglish: Translation of enlightenment for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of enlightenment for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about enlightenment

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enlightenment

Definition of enlightenment

Examples of enlightenment in a Sentence

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ENLIGHTENMENT Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of enlightenment for English Language Learners

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