illuminating

adjective

il·​lu·​mi·​nat·​ing i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnā-tiŋ 

: providing insight, clarity, or understanding : highly informative

an illuminating remark/discussion

… much of the information is quite illuminating …

—Glenn Kenny

illuminatingly adverb

Synonyms of illuminating

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

Examples of illuminating in a Sentence

the show is an illuminating tutorial on ways to prepare popular dishes using wholesome ingredients

Recent Examples on the Web

And somehow all these conversations have been equally illuminating. —Brittany Delay, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026

Amazon’s garden section is overflowing with illuminating décor, including solar lanterns, LED fairy lights, and even a mini tabletop fire pit that emits a real flame. —Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026

In this debut that centers Native Hawaiian mythology against contemporary issues, history and the present come together in illuminating ways. —Emma Alpern, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026

However, many statistics can be useful and illuminating. —Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of illuminate entry 1

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for illuminating

• accelerating
• accentuating
• accommodating
• accumulating
• adjudicating
• administrating
• affiliating
• agglutinating
• alienating
• alleviating
• amalgamating
• ameliorating