illuminating

adjective

il·​lu·​mi·​nat·​ing i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnā-tiŋ 

: providing insight, clarity, or understanding : highly informative

an illuminating remark/discussion

… much of the information is quite illuminating …

—Glenn Kenny

illuminatingly adverb

Synonyms

• educational
• educative
• enlightening
• informational
• informative
• informatory
• instructional
• instructive

Examples of illuminating in a Sentence

the show is an illuminating tutorial on ways to prepare popular dishes using wholesome ingredients

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s no legal argument to be made against this turn away from fact-checking and towards a more freewheeling, more disinformation-laden, more confusing, more hateful and less illuminating approach. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2025

The healthcare sector provides another illuminating example. —Louis Carter, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

This clean concealer offers buildable coverage that doesn’t cake or pill, leaving an illuminating effect (without looking shiny). —Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 2 Dec. 2024

That’s why his latest release, The Acme Novelty Date Book Volume 3 published by Drawn & Quarterly, is such a refreshing and illuminating departure. —Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined above