enlightened 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of enlightenednext
as in educated

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

enlightened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of enlighten
1
as in informed
to give information to the lecturer at the planetarium enlightened us about the latest astronomical discoveries

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inspired
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding many people around the world have been enlightened by the teachings of Gautama Buddha

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of enlightened
Adjective
Often times, individuals are searching for an enlightened approach to their everyday existence, and the focus can be on relaxation, wellness, adventure, stress management or even romance. — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Through enlightened leadership, and my own trial and error, Mammoth Lakes managed to create a sense of stewardship for the town’s wild kingdom. — Steve Searles, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Verb
So, please, consider this column a mere public service announcement for those of you living in or are soon to visit the less-than-enlightened corners of the country where that’s not the case. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 26 May 2026 Ambiguity clouds the conversation and risks leaving your protégé more confused than enlightened. — Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for enlightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enlightened
  1. educated
  2. informed
  3. inspired
  4. civilized
  5. told
  6. enhanced
  7. advised
  8. matured
Adjective
  • Of course Charles would be suspicious of this pretty, educated girl who shows up out of nowhere, refuses to share what brought her here, and has clearly ensnared Adam.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Right now, many jobs are booming due to AI, while preliminary studies on the impact of AI on jobs and wages remain educated guess work, as their own authors caution.
    — Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of educated
Verb
  • Sorrells said that his opponent’s assessment is Ill-informed.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Defense Department personnel may not make any financial transaction informed by nonpublic information, regardless of whether that information is classified or unclassified, Hegseth wrote.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of informed
Verb
  • Scientists have spent decades trying to build artificial molecular machines inspired by the motors that power movement inside living cells.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • How Richard Branson inspired Tan-Gillespie’s career ethos As Tan-Gillespie’s career developed, so did her aspirations.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of inspired
Adjective
  • Aaron Turpen / New Atlas The next big surprise is how civilized the Charger has become.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
  • On pavement, the 4Runner was comfortable and surprisingly civilized considering the serious off-road hardware underneath it.
    — Denver Post, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of civilized
Verb
  • Switzerland's foreign ministry told The Associated Press on Friday that the woman, married to a Swiss diplomat in Nigeria, had not visited Congo and was believed to have contracted Ebola while traveling to Uganda.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Scholten told Semafor that experience positions Turek to convert frustrated Republicans.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of told
Adjective
  • The bill imposed new pre-enrollment verification requirements on people buying insurance through the ACA marketplace, and ended enhanced premium tax credits implemented during the pandemic that drove down premiums.
    — Jack Harvel October 25, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
  • However, the company’s lobbying skyrocketed 75 percent during the first nine months of 2025 over 2024 levels as Congress debated whether to extend enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies.
    — Megan R. Wilson, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of enhanced
Verb
  • Her doctors advised her to wait two years before trying to get pregnant again to ensure the cancer wouldn’t return.
    — Alice Park, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • People are advised to watch for signs of rodent activity including droppings, gnaw marks, scratching or scurrying sounds and rub marks along baseboards or around entry points.
    — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado Updated October 21, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of advised
Adjective
  • Think of this as the matured version of the Kool-Aid dip-dye technique.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2025
Definition of matured

Browse Nearby Words

enlighten
enlightened
enlightening
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Enlightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enlightened. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All