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

• clarification
• construction
• elucidation
• exegesis
• explanation
• explication
• exposition
• illustration
• interpretation
• road map

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

The Hunter's Moon, a name derived from Native American, European and colonial sources, should reach peak illumination by Thursday, Oct. 17, according to NASA. —John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 7 Oct. 2024

It can be used on any skin type for instant illumination. —Hannah Rice, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2024

After darkness fell, only a few people walked about with their belongings, the occasional shop sign providing the only illumination. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2024

The glass is then filled with Super-LumiNova for nighttime illumination and fired in a kiln, after which it is engraved to represent lunar features such as craters, seas, etc. —Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 18 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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