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Vinony

illuminate

verb

  1. provide light to
  2. to provide with light, clarify, shining a light on
L36233 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ɪˈl(j)umɪnət/ / /ɪˈl(j)umɪneɪt/ / /ɪˈl(j)uməneɪt/

adj

Etymology: From Latin illūminātus, see Etymology 1 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more. For sense 3, see also Lumières.

  1. Enlightened, illuminated, made bright.

    “February 28 1630, Joseph Hall, The Hypocrite do ye see an illuminate elder of the anabaptists rapt in divine ecstasies?”

  2. Enlightened spiritually, divinely taught or inspired; in technical use, converted, baptized.
  3. Learned, erudite.

noun

Etymology: From a substantivation of the above adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) for more.

  1. Someone thought to have an unusual degree of enlightenment.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English illuminaten, borrowed from Latin illūminātus, perfect passive participle of illūminō (“lighten, light up, show off”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more), from in + lūminō (“light up”), from lūmen (“light”). Cognate with Old English lȳman (“to glow, shine”). More at leam.

  1. To shine light on something.

    “Nero illuminated his gardens with live Christians soaked in tar, and we were now treated to a similar spectacle, probably for the first time since his day, only happily our lamps were not living ones.”

    “A light that is one foot away from the subject's face will completely illuminate the face, but leave the rest of the body softer and darker.”

  2. To decorate something with lights.
  3. To clarify or make something understandable.

    “The situation, as it was, made it more difficult for him to leave. Yet it illuminated the very reasons why he had to go.”

  4. To decorate the page of a manuscript book with ornamental designs.
  5. To make spectacular.

    “Hodgson's approach may not illuminate proceedings in Poland and Ukraine but early evidence suggests they will be tough to break down.”

  6. To glow; to light up.

    “Red diode in button illuminates when camera runs at speed set in five-digit speed selector.”

    “Say my name / and every color illuminates. / We are shining / […]”

  7. To be exposed to light.
  8. To direct a radar beam toward.