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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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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

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

“The truth is, you are either here to enlighten or discourage.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2025

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

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

The deeply felt elegance of Dandridge’s rendition of “Send in the Clowns” enlightens, even if belatedly, Hayden’s Fredrik, who grows in gravitas and, therefore, appeal.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2023

What it shows us, what it leaves out and which important opportunities it misses are more concerning, all of which are why this hour disappoints more than it enlightens or activate the viewer.

From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2021

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

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 27, 2019

Must-see TV: When They See Us, Ava DuVernay’s miniseries about the lives at the heart of the Central Park Five, informs and enlightens audiences—but as Willa Paskin reviews, entertainment is not its core purpose.

From Slate ● May 30, 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

Or should the seemingly enlightened Norwegians be more understanding?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Every decision it makes about the pace and composition of new issuance, and every decision about whether to retire or not retire existing issues, is a legitimate choice made under enlightened self-interest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

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

Such behavior, the journal said, “would be called treason in countries less enlightened and more arbitrary than ours.”

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Gomide&Co has staged an enlightening booth that expands diasporic scholarship by looking at Asian artists working in Latin America.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

This columnist’s three years in the trenches were the toughest yet most enlightening three years of my career.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 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

"Intelligence is essentially a banal trade of sifting through huge amounts of random information in a search for a single enlightening gem or illuminating link," he wrote.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau




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