illumination

noun

il·​lu·​mi·​na·​tion i-ˌlü-mə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce illumination (audio)
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

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 Dazzling illumination and overwhelming orchestral effect, not color, made this heart-stopping. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 March 25: Full Moon Worm Close the month with the full worm moon, which hits peak illumination early the morning of March 25. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2024 Standing slightly taller than 4.5 feet, this premium LED corner lamp introduces unparalleled illumination to any area, home, or office. Stack Commerce, Popular Science, 28 Feb. 2024 The team conducted two assessments using a 532nm wavelength illumination to evaluate the lens's performance. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 On top of that, the moon will be at approximately half illumination, meaning stargazers will have a more challenging time viewing the shooting stars, though the bright fireballs can cut through light pollution, Live Science reports. USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Significantly, Monday marked the passage of 60 days since Dec. 21, the day of the solstice and its wan, brief illumination. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024 However, the bulbs give off insufficient light for true illumination. Alida Nugent, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024 The present and its discontents need more illumination. Ross Douthat, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'illumination.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of illumination was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near illumination

Cite this Entry

“Illumination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illumination. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

illumination

noun
il·​lu·​mi·​na·​tion il-ˌü-mə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce illumination (audio)
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 How to pronounce illumination (audio)
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 transitive verb
illuminated; illuminating

More from Merriam-Webster on illumination

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