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Definitions

enlighten

[en-lahyt-n] / ɛnˈlaɪt n /


Example Sentences

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Some of those eagerly sought to enlighten their charges, while a few others grew to see – or claimed to see – an unbridgeable chasm between the ivory tower and mass cultural aspiration.

From Salon Apr. 19, 2026

Its narrative offers few character sketches, jumps around in time and digresses into subjects that distract more than they enlighten.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 3, 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 think in the spirit of the bikers, Dave would want me to continue to have fun and to educate, to inform, to enlighten, to be slightly edgy," he says.

From BBC Dec. 6, 2024

“Okay then, enlighten me as to what this marriage business is all about,” says Dad.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

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

Poverty casts a dark shadow, while love enlightens the ambience.

From Seattle Times Nov. 27, 2019

“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

You know, if everybody has the same idea and the same belief, we’re never going to learn anything, we’re never going to be enlightened to anything beyond ourselves.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 2, 2026

“Are our moneyed men less enlightened to their own interest, or less enterprising in the pursuit?,” the future Treasury secretary wrote External link in 1780.

From Barron's Jun. 17, 2026

Quite poorly educated, quite easily misled, perhaps less than enlightened.

From Salon Jun. 15, 2026

Many of the problems we face are self-inflicted, and they are fixable with proper allocation of resources, and enlightened and accountable leadership.

From MarketWatch Mar. 10, 2026

Do you think that they, with their Battles, Famine, Black Death and Serfdom, were less enlightened than we are, with our Wars, Blockade, Influenza and Conscription?

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

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

Our critic said the show “stakes out enlightening new ground” in its exploration of “one of the most influential figures in modern art history.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 21, 2026

Alexander said: "It was the single most enlightening conversation I've had in the last month on trade so I see why you hold him in such high regard."

From BBC Jun. 3, 2026

I am writing this book in the hope of enlightening readers about the journey an African-American takes in having to grow up and live under the laws and traditions of oppression.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals




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