enlighten

verb

en·​light·​en in-ˈlī-tᵊn 

en-

enlightened; enlightening in-ˈlīt-niŋ 

-ˈlī-tᵊn-iŋ,

en-

transitive verb

1

a

: to furnish knowledge to : instruct

enlightened us about the problem

b

: to give spiritual insight to

2

archaic : illuminate

Synonyms

• acquaint
• advise
• apprise
• brief
• catch up
• clear
• clue (in)
• familiarize
• fill in
• hip
• inform
• instruct
• tell
• verse
• wise (up)

Examples of enlighten in a Sentence

I don't understand what's going on; can someone please enlighten me?

the lecturer at the planetarium enlightened us about the latest astronomical discoveries

Recent Examples on the Web

This can make browsing through social media after news like the John Lithgow casting appear incredibly divisive, with many people hunkering down on their opinions and portraying HBO’s decision as nothing short of awful or enlightened. —Callum Booth, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025

On the other hand, those who make it are upheld as virtuous and enlightened. —Adam Chandler, TIME, 21 Jan. 2025

Each experience enlightened me to the Canadian take on Asian immigrants and culture, in a way that felt simple and accepting. —Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2025

Not to foreshadow the end of Dellinger, but there was this great message that the enlightened are not welcome here. —Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for enlighten

• exciton
• brighten
• chitin
• frighten
• heighten
• lighten
• phaeton
• tighten
• titan
• triton
• whiten
• periphyton

Kids Definition

enlighten

verb

en·​light·​en in-ˈlīt-ᵊn 

enlightened; enlightening -ˈlīt-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to give knowledge or understanding to : instruct

enlightened us about the problem

enlightenment

-ᵊn-mənt

noun