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
From the M-W Editors
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
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So have Westerners seeking enlightenment, ever since the Beatles went in 1968 to study Transcendental Meditation with the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
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Then again, maybe living in 300 square feet doesn’t instantly trigger enlightenment.
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The only thing that makes sense to do is strive for greater collective enlightenment.
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Two of the nonprofit organization's missions are to provide enlightenment to the community and to provide opportunities for artists.
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The enlightenment and subsequent reforms came years too late for Richard Jones, now 41.
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Among the most visually arresting: the fifth statue, which shows Siddhartha emaciated after six years of fasting and meditating in the hopes of reaching enlightenment.
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The award honors individuals for their contributions to public discourse and the cultural enlightenment of society.
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Meditation, however, doesn't mean sitting absolutely still for 14 hours and attaining enlightenment.
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
ENLIGHTENMENT Defined for English Language Learners
enlightenment
playDefinition of enlightenment for English Language Learners
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: the state of having knowledge or understanding : the act of giving someone knowledge or understanding
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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
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Buddhism : a final spiritual state marked by the absence of desire or suffering
Learn More about enlightenment
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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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