illuminating

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

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of illuminating

: providing insight, clarity, or understanding : highly informative

an illuminating remark/discussion

… much of the information is quite illuminating …
—Glenn Kenny

—

illuminatingly

adverb

Recent Examples of illuminating from the Web

These may be leads that were previously withheld on purpose, or perhaps the new information simply jogs some memories and puts past observations in a different and illuminating context.

— The Root, "Tracing Your Roots: Why Did My Family Bury the Past?," 6 Apr. 2018
Victim may be more illuminating now for the smaller characters on the periphery, whose remarks constitute an inventory of British attitudes in a rapidly changing era.

— j.r. jones, Chicago Reader, "Victim evokes the bad old days of sodomy laws and blackmail," 21 Mar. 2018
In this way, the magnifying and illuminating power of a microscope could then make individual tissues visible.

— lynne parenti, Smithsonian, "How the Smithsonian’s Coelacanth Lost Its Brain and Got It Back Again," 14 Mar. 2018
Because most of the electrons are losing energy to the lattice, the glow of the nanoparticle is dominated by colors that are redder than the illuminating light.

— chris lee, Ars Technica, "How gold nanoparticles may make killing tumors easier," 17 Jan. 2018
This entire effort at damage control and possible retaliation is essentially an illuminating answer to the question: How does harassment still persist in Hollywood?

— dahlia lithwick, Slate Magazine, "The fight against one mogul’s attempts to chill sexual abuse claims is the perfect test case for Hollywood’s #MeToo moment.," 3 Jan. 2018
Formulated specifically for all skin tones, the hydrating formula not only boosts your glow in the moment but helps improve skin's glow over time, thanks to a dose of antioxidants, pomegranate extract, and illuminating minerals.

— macaela mackenzie, Allure, "Kiehl's Is Quietly Launching the New Glow Formula Skin Hydrator, Its First-Ever Highlighter," 5 Mar. 2018
Perhaps one of the most illuminating performances was when Capt.

— sheryl devore, Lake County News-Sun, "Lovell Center veterans share how art 'breaks through the bondage' of mental and physical wounds," 2 Mar. 2018
The stories range from big watchdog projects that give voice to the voiceless to illuminating feature or explanatory narratives.

— mark katches, OregonLive.com, "Our best journalism of 2017 got results and shaped debates (Editor's Notebook)," 11 Jan. 2018

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

First Known Use of illuminating

1644

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

illuminating Synonyms

Learn More about illuminating

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for illuminating Nglish: Translation of illuminating for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of illuminating for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up illuminating? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

illuminating

Definition of illuminating

illuminatingly

Recent Examples of illuminating from the Web

First Known Use of illuminating

illuminating Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Learn More about illuminating

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

mollycoddle

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

'Rather Than': Is It a Conjunction or Preposition?

‘Magnate’ and ‘Magnet’: Poles Apart

All the Hits

The Fossil Encased in "Case In Point"

Ask the Editors

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Words of the Year: 1066

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

April 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Spell It

Add Diction

'Rather Than': Is It a Conjunction or Preposition?

April 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

Trending: Janelle Monáe Out as 'Pansexual'

All the Hits

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

illuminating

Definition of illuminating

illuminatingly

Recent Examples of illuminating from the Web

First Known Use of illuminating

illuminating Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Learn More about illuminating

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Rather Than': Is It a Conjunction or Preposition?

April 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

Trending: Janelle Monáe Out as 'Pansexual'

All the Hits

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes