1
as in to educate
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding
a favorite line of an Eastern Church hymn reads, "through fast-closed doors Thou camest Thy Disciples to illume"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to illumine
to supply with light
during the vigil service the church's Gothic interior was illumed by the light of hundreds of tapers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illume
Verb
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The program is a half-day, in-depth course to educate attendees on the principles used by firefighters in suppressing wildland fire and protecting structures in the Wildland Urban Interface, said workshop organizers.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 June 2026 -
As the World Cup tourists arrive, the national seashore is educating them about how to stay safe at local beaches.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Fantastic, illumined by periodic excursions into surrealism, as when the crew of a mysterious UFO boards a transpacific Kahuna Airlines jet midflight.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Geraldine walked over to Felix and Jane’s for fish soup, through long autumn shadows in the park, haze rising like smoke from the grass, illumined by the low sun.—
Tessa Hadley,
New Yorker,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When reconstructing the Inquisition trial of a sixteenth-century northern Italian miller, historian Carlo Ginzburg encountered a line that would eventually inspire the title of his paradigm-shifting study The Cheese and the Worms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Though all eyes will be on North America, the national pride this event inspires – and the staggered start times that will allow fans watching back in their home countries to take in their teams during sort-of-normal hours – will stir incredible excitement and patriotism all around the world.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
Verb
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According to Mauricio Cortés, the architect responsible, Gaudí had imagined a reflective cross that shone during the day and illuminated the skyline at night.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
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As the sun set, the grounds glowed with scarlet lights that illuminated the red ottomans in the seating and lounge areas, creating an almost theatrical atmosphere.—
Stefania Conrieri,
Vanity Fair,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Hunters often lit blazing fires, which disoriented and frightened the elk, and as many animals as possible were killed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
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This type of signage became so ubiquitous and so grotesquely huge across the city as businesses advertised and competed for visual attention that they were forcefully phased out by the government in the 2010s and replaced by Korean letters tastefully cut out to be lit from within instead.—
Anton Hur,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Illume.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illume. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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