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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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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

With the wisdom of age and the benefit of hindsight, Adam can finally come out to them, reckon with past wounds and enlighten them about shifting attitudes about queerness over the past few decades.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 1, 2023

“All right, enlighten me. What problem haven’t I solved?”

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

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

This is her place to retreat inward with her sheep to create prose that enlightens us and products that feed us.

From Seattle Times Jun. 16, 2023

But it thrives as an autonomous sphere, and as I age, it’s increasingly the one that succors, enlarges, and enlightens me most, when I have the energy and presence to bring to it.

From Slate Dec. 20, 2019

When she volunteers to attend what she thinks will be a placid demonstration against coal mining, another member enlightens her: “We don’t really do protests. … We do direct action.”

From New York Times May 16, 2019

I will read further, searching until I find an explanation that enlightens me.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

He’s on the board of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and received its David Rockefeller Award, given to an “individual from the business community who exemplifies enlightened generosity.”

From Barron's Jun. 18, 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

Soelberg told his son that the chatbot, which he named Bobby and talked to on his smartphone, said he was enlightened and had a divine purpose.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 11, 2025

You were so enlightened you ran away, probably to share them with others.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

"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

While Mr. Swaim’s interview is otherwise enlightening, a few aspects of Eastern Orthodoxy require clarification.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 19, 2026

Grammy-winning pianist Robert Glasper’s live performance from 2010 is particularly enlightening: the audience becomes audibly excited the moment they recognize the song’s iconic piano hook, a scene that demonstrates “Sunshine’s” immortality.

From Los Angeles Times May 19, 2026

With six politicians vying for your attention, these debates can be noisy and argumentative, but they can also be enlightening and influential.

From BBC Apr. 28, 2026

Similarly, whenever I used to think a conversation I’d had with someone was especially funny or enlightening, I would jot it down in my notebook, the same one I kept my book titles in.

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley




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