illuminate

1 of 3

verb

il·​lu·​mi·​nate i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnāt 

illuminated; illuminating

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to supply or brighten with light

candles illuminating a church

(2)

: to make luminous or shining

b

: to enlighten spiritually or intellectually

a career educator who illuminated hundreds of students

c

: to subject to radiation

d

archaic : to set alight

2

a

: to make clear : elucidate

an explanation that illuminated the situation

b

: to bring to the fore : highlight

a crisis can illuminate how interdependent we all are

3

: to make illustrious or resplendent

4

: to decorate (something, such as a manuscript) with gold or silver or brilliant colors or with often elaborate designs or miniature pictures

illuminator

i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnā-tər 

noun

illuminate

2 of 3

adjective

il·​lu·​mi·​nate i-ˈlü-mə-nət 

1

archaic : brightened with light

2

archaic : intellectually or spiritually enlightened

illuminate

3 of 3

noun

il·​lu·​mi·​nate i-ˈlü-mə-nət 

archaic

: one having or claiming unusual enlightenment

Synonyms of illuminate

Verb

• illumine
• light

Examples of illuminate in a Sentence

Verb

the part of the moon illuminated by the sun

A university study has illuminated the problem.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In an eerie scene captured on video Thursday, a first responder drove straight at a storm near Fairview, where flashes of lightning illuminated a giant funnel that appeared to reach the ground. —Dallas Morning News, 7 Mar. 2026

Titled ClairObscur, it was dedicated to illuminating forms of character through the exploration of shadows, in part inspired by the dramatic tenebrism of Caravaggio. —Luke Leitch, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2026

New moon phase ideal for Milky Way viewing While the moon can help illuminate the landscape, too much light coming from Earth's natural satellite will drastically reduce the Milky Way's visibility, according to Capture the Atlas. —Eric Lagatta, wickedlocal.com, 7 Mar. 2026

In an eerie scene captured on video Thursday, a first responder drove straight at a storm near the western Oklahoma town of Fairview, where flashes of lightning illuminated a giant funnel that appeared to reach the ground. —Isabel Yip, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English illuminaten "to enlighten spiritually," borrowed from Latin illūminātus, past participle of illūmināre "to give light to, light up, brighten" (Medieval Latin, "to enlighten spiritually or intellectually, decorate [a manuscript]"), from il- il- + -lūmināre, derivative of lūmen "light, source of light" — more at lumen

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Latin illūminātus, past participle of illūmināre "to give light to, light up, brighten" — more at illuminate entry 1

Noun

probably derivative of illuminate entry 2, in part after illuminati

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1602, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for illuminate

• aluminate

Kids Definition

illuminate

verb

il·​lu·​mi·​nate

il-ˈü-mə-ˌnāt

illuminated; illuminating

1

: to supply with light : light up

illuminate a room

the part of the moon illuminated by the sun

2

: to make clear : explain

illuminated the point with good examples

3

: to decorate with designs or pictures in gold or colors

illuminate a manuscript

illuminative

-ˌnāt-iv

adjective

illuminator

-ˌnāt-ər

noun