illumination

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

|Updated on: 23 Jun 2018

Examples: illumination in a Sentence

Definition of illumination

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

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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 of illumination from the Web

Approaching the entrance to New York’s Lower Bay on the evening of Jan. 14, 1942, Captain Hardegen climbed to the bridge of U-123 and beheld an illumination that thrilled him.

— richard goldstein, New York Times, "Reinhard Hardegen, Who Led U-Boats to America’s Shore, Dies at 105," 17 June 2018
Last year’s festival featured 25,6,7,8 Flash Mob followed by Dance Happens Here, a five-story illumination show on the facade of the Dance Complex building.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Critic’s picks: A bounty of ballet, tap, and much more on local stages," 18 May 2018
The Department of Justice told Ars that more than 28,000 laser illumination incidents in the United States have been reported to the Federal Aviation Administration between 2011 and 2015.

— cyrus farivar, Ars Technica, "US military aircraft have been hit many times by lasers, possibly by China," 4 May 2018
The illumination changes in color and intensity, based on the season and various celebrations.

— jennifer franklin, USA TODAY, "10 reasons why Montreal is your perfect playground," 25 May 2018
The driver was given a warning for speeding and rear license plate light illumination.

— john benson, cleveland.com, "Man with warrant arrested for drug abuse: Brecksville Police Blotter," 10 May 2018
On Sunday, that rigor came and went, the illumination sometimes as frustratingly dim as the stage and auditorium lighting.

— john von rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Youth and experience score separate victories, as Orlinski debuts and Pollini returns," 24 Apr. 2018
The fashionistas of the 19th century prized iridescence in part because the uneven illumination from lamps and candles made the effect particularly compelling.

— susan delson, WSJ, "Fashion’s Glorification—and Devastation—of Nature," 20 Apr. 2018
The vivid illumination of the full moon reminds us that the mind, body, and spirit are inextricably linked.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "What April's Gemini Horoscope Means for You," 29 Mar. 2018

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