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
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
According to the designers, the resulting long-distance illumination goes far beyond the capabilities of conventional LEDs.
—
Ben Coxworth
october 17, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2025
The original hope was such illumination would be ready for the season’s start, but at least the Governors’ dozen seniors got to play a home game at night.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
The sleep changes were most pronounced in communities with little or no access to electricity, where moonlight remained the main source of nighttime illumination.
—Clarissa Brincat, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2025
The 200-foot-long immersive light tunnel lost 170 feet of twinkling illumination, also in need of reinstallation.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illumination
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Ben Coxworth
october 17, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2025
The original hope was such illumination would be ready for the season’s start, but at least the Governors’ dozen seniors got to play a home game at night.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
The sleep changes were most pronounced in communities with little or no access to electricity, where moonlight remained the main source of nighttime illumination.
—Clarissa Brincat, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2025
The 200-foot-long immersive light tunnel lost 170 feet of twinkling illumination, also in need of reinstallation.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illumination
Cite this Entry
“Illumination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illumination. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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