spotlight

noun spot·light \ ˈspät-ˌlīt \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

Definition of spotlight

1 a : a projected spot of light used to illuminate brilliantly a person, object, or group on a stage

b : public notice or attention

held the political spotlight

2 a : a light designed to direct a narrow intense beam of light on a small area

b : something that illuminates brilliantly

See spotlight defined for English-language learners

See spotlight defined for kids

Examples of spotlight in a Sentence

They aimed the spotlight at the center of the stage.
A spotlight moved across the stage.
The actor stood in the spotlight.
a baseball star who hates the spotlight
They're always in the spotlight.
The news article turned the spotlight on the city's financial problems.

Recent Examples of spotlight from the Web

By late 2016, insurers had fallen under the spotlight as Chinese leaders tried to control capital outflows and began to openly fret that the financial system was building debt too rapidly and creating systemic risks.

— james t. areddy, WSJ, "Fired Chinese Insurance Regulator Charged With Bribery, Abuse of Power," 16 Apr. 2018
Friday’s game against Orlando City will give the Union’s corps of American prospects their biggest spotlight yet.

— jonathan tannenwald, Philly.com, "Union's game vs. Orlando City a national stage for Auston Trusty and Matthew Real," 12 Apr. 2018
And Zuckerberg, famously uncomfortable under the spotlight, was summoned for grilling before both houses of Congress.

— david kirkpatrick, Time, "The Facebook Defect," 12 Apr. 2018
In her accessible history, Berenson focuses her spotlight on Bay State women who catalyzed the effort to gain women’s right to vote on a local and national level, paying particular attention to Lucy Stone and her daughter.

— nina maclaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, "A woman’s painful memoir of her dead parents; Mass. as the cradle of women’s rights," 6 Apr. 2018
GE’s accounting practices are currently under the spotlight, after the company earlier this year disclosed the need to put $15 billion into reserves over the next seven years.

— alan murray, Fortune, "Volatility Weariness, Facebook Medical Data, GE and KPMG: CEO Daily for April 6, 2018," 6 Apr. 2018
The controversy put Pagliarulo in a familiar place — under the national spotlight.

— john tedesco, San Antonio Express-News, "‘Joe Pags Show’ in the national spotlight after Ted Nugent interview," 6 Apr. 2018
The San Diego Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies (San Diego SAFE) came under a harsh spotlight not only because call-box use plummeted, but the growing surplus was being spent on other things.

— michael smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego's highway call boxes fade, but the tax for them stays," 23 Mar. 2018
The magazine is shining their spotlight on the ones that help craft the image of some of our favorite leading ladies and men—the fashion stylists.

— chrissy rutherford, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Hollywood Reporter Names The Top Celebrity Stylists of the Year," 21 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of spotlight

1904

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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spotlight Synonyms

spotlight

verb

Definition of spotlight

spotlighted or -lit; spotlighting

transitive verb

1 : to illuminate with a spotlight

2 : to direct attention to : highlight

See spotlight defined for English-language learners

Examples of spotlight in a Sentence

She was spotlighted as she sang her solo.
The news spotlighted the city's financial problems.

Recent Examples of spotlight from the Web

Dozens of cafeteria workers showed up to the Oct. 10 school board meeting to spotlight their worries.

— diane smith, star-telegram, "Need a job? Fort Worth schools are hiring.," 19 Oct. 2017
Traffic Lab is a Seattle Times project that digs into the region’s thorny transportation issues, spotlights promising approaches to easing gridlock, and helps readers find the best ways to get around.

— david gutman, The Seattle Times, "Seattle to spend $177M on new streetcar line amid questions about ‘unrealistic’ revenue, rider projections," 25 Sep. 2017
Since taking office, Putin has on occasion sought to spotlight racial tensions in the United States as a means of shaping perceptions of American society.

— chicagotribune.com, "Russian operatives used Facebook ads to exploit divisions over Black Lives Matter, Muslims," 25 Sep. 2017
Still largely a joyous flexing of American military power, the air show is meant to spotlight the service members who operate the flying machines and delight the taxpayers who fund them.

— jeanette steele, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Miramar Air Show launches Friday with a salute to Vietnam veterans," 21 Sep. 2017
While the antagonist in this spot is white—unlike Horton, a black man George H.W. Bush’s campaign spotlighted in 1988—Gillespie’s campaign hasn’t shied away from appeals to racial animus, especially in the context of public safety.

— matt ford, The Atlantic, "The Strangest Political Attack Ad of 2017," 24 Oct. 2017
In announcing the results of its latest sweep, the FBI spotlighted a handful of cases — including one in El Paso, where an undercover agent responded to an online ad for entertainment.

— eli rosenberg, Washington Post, "Infant and her 5-year-old sister, allegedly on sale for $600, rescued in FBI sex trafficking sweep," 19 Oct. 2017
Lewis spotlights several designers who’ve come to similar ethical crossroads in their 30s, many of whom have quit posts at household-name technological juggernauts in the hopes of designing our way out of all this squandering.

— catherine cusick, Longreads, "Immature Architects Built the Attention Economy," 11 Oct. 2017
Previous races have been held in other parts of the state and designed to spotlight the beauty of its iconic waterways.

— marty pearl, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky Waterman Series splashes into Louisville with paddlesport race on the Ohio River," 16 Sep. 2017

First Known Use of spotlight

1907

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

SPOTLIGHT Defined for English Language Learners

spotlight

noun

Definition of spotlight for English Language Learners

: a device that directs a narrow, bright beam of light on a small area
: the area of light created by a spotlight
the spotlight : public attention or notice

spotlight

verb

Definition of spotlight for English Language Learners

: to shine a spotlight on (someone or something)
: to give special attention to (something)

SPOTLIGHT Defined for Kids

spotlight

noun spot·light \ ˈspät-ˌlīt \

Definition of spotlight for Students

1 : a spot of light used to show up a particular area, person, or thing (as on a stage)

2 : public notice

She's a celebrity but doesn't like the spotlight.

3 : a lamp used to direct a narrow strong beam of light on a small area

spotlight

verb

Definition of spotlight for Students

spotlighted or spotlit \ˈspät-ˌlit\; spotlighting

1 : to light up with or as if with a spotlight

2 : to bring to public attention

Learn More about spotlight

See words that rhyme with spotlight Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for spotlight Spanish Central: Translation of spotlight Nglish: Translation of spotlight for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of spotlight for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spotlight

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spotlight

Definition of spotlight

Examples of spotlight in a Sentence

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spotlight

Definition of spotlight

Examples of spotlight in a Sentence

Recent Examples of spotlight from the Web

First Known Use of spotlight

Phrases Related to SPOTLIGHT

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SPOTLIGHT Defined for English Language Learners

spotlight

Definition of spotlight for English Language Learners

spotlight

Definition of spotlight for English Language Learners

SPOTLIGHT Defined for Kids

spotlight

Definition of spotlight for Students

spotlight

Definition of spotlight for Students

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