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as in to illumine
to supply with light
a floor lamp illuminates a living room rather nicely
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as in to explain
to make plain or understandable
the museum's exhibit on the refraction of light really illuminated the subject for us
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as in to illustrate
to supplement with pictorial matter for the purpose of explanation or decoration
no one knows for sure the identity of the artist who illuminated that medieval manuscript so beautifully
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as in to highlight
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
the results of the statewide testing illuminated the need to place more focus on instruction in math and science
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Cite this Entry
“Illuminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illuminate. Accessed 29 Jan. 2023.
More from Merriam-Webster on illuminate
Nglish: Translation of illuminate for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of illuminate for Arabic Speakers
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