illuminism

noun

il·​lu·​mi·​nism i-ˈlü-mə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce illuminism (audio)
1
: belief in or claim to a personal enlightenment not accessible to humankind in general
2
capitalized : beliefs or claims viewed as forming doctrine or principles of Illuminati
illuminist noun

Examples of illuminism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Father Laurentin was careful to acknowledge that claims of apparitions can flow from illuminism — a belief that one has attained a degree of enlightenment denied to most people — or madness. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'illuminism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of illuminism was in 1798

Dictionary Entries Near illuminism

Cite this Entry

“Illuminism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illuminism. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!