enlightenment
noun
en·light·en·ment
in-ˈlī-tᵊn-mənt 
en-
1
: the act or means of enlightening : the state of being enlightened
2
capitalized
: a philosophical movement of the 18th century marked by a rejection of traditional social, religious, and political ideas and an emphasis on rationalism
—used with the
3
Buddhism
: a final blessed state marked by the absence of desire or suffering
Examples of enlightenment in a Sentence
the search for spiritual enlightenment
His comments failed to provide enlightenment.
the enlightenment of the public through education
Recent Examples on the Web
Nevertheless, viewers need some enlightenment as to what's going on.
—
Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
The new setting also gives us plenty of rich themes to explore — like embarrassing Westerners who travel to Asia seeking spiritual enlightenment — and beautiful scenery to look at.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2025
And as Apollo’s role shows, attempting to seek that enlightenment through other people is a fool’s errand.
—James Factora, Them, 27 Nov. 2024
There was a sign of immediate enlightenment on Fairchild’s face.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enlightenment
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Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
The new setting also gives us plenty of rich themes to explore — like embarrassing Westerners who travel to Asia seeking spiritual enlightenment — and beautiful scenery to look at.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2025
And as Apollo’s role shows, attempting to seek that enlightenment through other people is a fool’s errand.
—James Factora, Them, 27 Nov. 2024
There was a sign of immediate enlightenment on Fairchild’s face.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enlightenment
Cite this Entry
“Enlightenment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enlightenment. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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