enlighten

[en-lahyt-n]

verb (used with object)

1. to give intellectual or spiritual light to; instruct; impart knowledge to.

   We hope the results of our research will enlighten our colleagues.

   Synonyms: inform, teach, edify, illumine
   Antonyms: puzzle, perplex, confuse, mystify

2. Archaic.,  to shed light upon.

enlighten

/ ɪnˈlaɪtən /

verb

1. to give information or understanding to; instruct; edify

2. to free from ignorance, prejudice, or superstition

3. to give spiritual or religious revelation to

4. poetic,  to shed light on

Other Word Forms

• enlightening adjective
• enlightener noun
• enlightenedly adverb
• enlightenedness noun
• nonenlightened adjective
• preenlighten verb (used with object)
• preenlightener noun
• reenlighten verb (used with object)
• unenlightened adjective
• well-enlightened adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of enlighten¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English enli(g)htenen; en- ¹, lighten ¹

Example Sentences

But an enlightening conversation with his father, who died in 2022, made it “make sense for my psyche.”

From Los Angeles Times

As is the case in “Downton,” the rich protagonists and their servants in “The Gilded Age” are portrayed as one grand family, and people like Agnes and Ada as racially enlightened.

From Salon

“His groundbreaking work has not only entertained but enlightened. We are thrilled to pay tribute to Cheech and the other 2025 Honorees and tell their stories to inspire, unite, and mobilize other generations.”

From Los Angeles Times

Pulling a person’s coat means putting them on, enlightening them with the knowledge they need to better their living experience.

From Salon

By the time of the Modesto revelations, the hospitals were increasingly seen as relics of a less enlightened past.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• acquaint 
• advise 
• civilize 
• edify 
• educate 
• inform 
• uplift