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Definitions

enlighten

[en-lahyt-n] / ɛnˈlaɪt n /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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A director who loves our country and wants to enlighten us with consequential historical exhibits would be a better fit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

He offers never-ending reruns of the same speech, and at this point it fails to entertain, enlighten or move anyone.

From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026

So can you enlighten us as to the great wisdom Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito share in their own concurrences?

From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2025

“I have committed my life to initiatives related to Stanley’s life and death that can enlighten and support others and save lives,” Lucas said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2025

“Where is she now? Will someone please enlighten me?”

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Unfortunately, however, the Netflix series obscures on this issue more than it enlightens.

From Slate ● Apr. 30, 2025

He thought about the country’s anger, prejudice and the way the news batters more than enlightens.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2023

There's not a lot of focus on music that enlightens people, and that carries over to other products as well.

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2023

Patrick Carone, a former editor at Abercrombie’s quarterly magazine, enlightens viewers on the concept of a mall: “Imagine, like, a search engine that you could walk through.”

From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2022

“You are like he was,” Keith enlightens me, “and just like him, you were most likely to die the same way—a quarter of what you could have been....”

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak

We have come to believe that it is “more respectful, more enlightened, to let the sick slip through the cracks than to require them to accept treatment,” he writes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

The impoverished woman appears to find comfort in the asylum, where she is known to be an “excellent hard worker,” as the Reader sees evidence of genuine, occasionally enlightened, care.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Or should the seemingly enlightened Norwegians be more understanding?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

In some caves where enlightened paradise is depicted, it’s utopic: singers and dancers prancing in revelry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

He had me put in the Mabel Mercer tape and then enlightened me about her meticulous phrasing.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

That was very refreshing and enlightening for me and made me admire him even more.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

Yes, a book about the history of the bond market can be entertaining and enlightening.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Nevertheless, it’s an enlightening read in light of how dramatically war has changed in the last two-and-a-half centuries.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

"Together, these records offer a more complex and enlightening account of the Revolution, showing how its consequences were felt far beyond the Thirteen Colonies," Cunningham added.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

If enlightening, it is called “having an epiphany.”

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood


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