illumination

noun

il·​lu·​mi·​na·​tion i-ˌlü-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: the action of illuminating or state of being illuminated: such as

a

: spiritual or intellectual enlightenment

b(1)

: a lighting up

(2)

: decorative lighting or lighting effects

c

: decoration by the art of illuminating

2

: the luminous flux per unit area on an intercepting surface at any given point

3

: one of the decorative features used in the art of illuminating or in decorative lighting

Synonyms

• explanation
• interpretation
• illustration

Examples of illumination in a Sentence

When taking photographs indoors, use a flash for illumination.

They traveled to the temple in search of spiritual illumination.

an old manuscript with beautiful illuminations

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead of going with a big, fancy cockpit of OLED or LED graphics and illumination, Kamingo keeps it simple with a featherlight controller that features a knurled mode dial and a small color display for essentials like speed, distance and battery life. —New Atlas, 18 June 2025

The tractor-trailer then veered right, traveling across both lanes, and collided with an overhead illumination police and through the metal beam guardrail in the right shoulder and went down an embankment into a wooded area, according to state police. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 18 June 2025

This boresight can attach to nearly any rifle and features 10 different illumination settings, allowing for visibility in a variety of light conditions. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025

Software integration and ensuring that the devices work robustly across all populations (age, skin color, eye color, illumination conditions, vibrations, facial and eye-makeup, etc.) are critical challenges. —Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for illumination

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

illumination

noun

il·​lu·​mi·​na·​tion il-ˌü-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

a

: the action of illuminating or state of being illuminated

b

: amount of light

2

: gold or colored decoration in a manuscript

Medical Definition

illumination

noun

il·​lu·​mi·​na·​tion il-ˌü-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: the action of supplying or brightening with light or the resulting state

2

: the luminous flux per unit area on an intercepting surface at any given point

called also illuminance

illuminate

il-ˈü-mə-ˌnāt 

transitive verb

illuminated; illuminating