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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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

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 16 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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