Adjacent Words

Enlighten definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ENLI'GHTEN, v.t. enli'tn. [from light.]
1. To make light; to shed light on; to supply with light; to illuminate; as, the sun enlightens the earth.
His lightnings enlightened the world. Psalms 97.
2. To quicken in the faculty of vision; to enable to see more clearly.
Jonathan's--eyes were enlightened. 2 Samuel 14.
3. To give light to; to give clearer views; to illuminate; to instruct; to enable to see or comprehend truth; as, to enlighten the mind or understanding.
4. To illuminate with divine knowledge, or a knowledge of the truth.
Those who were once enlightened. Hebrews 6.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: make understand; "Can you enlighten me--I don't understand this proposal" [syn: enlighten, edify]
2: give spiritual insight to; in religion [syn: enlighten, irradiate]
3: make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear; "Could you clarify these remarks?"; "Clear up the question of who is at fault" [syn: clear, clear up, shed light on, crystallize, crystallise, crystalize, crystalise, straighten out, sort out, enlighten, illuminate, elucidate]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb (enlightened; enlightening) Date: 1587 1. archaic illuminate 2. a. to furnish knowledge to ; instruct <enlightened us about the problem> b. to give spiritual insight to

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 (often foll. by on) instruct or inform (about a subject). 2 (esp. as enlightened adj.) free from prejudice or superstition. 3 rhet. or poet. a shed light on (an object). b give spiritual insight to (a person). Derivatives: enlightener n.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Enlighten En*light"en, v. t. [Pref. en- + lighten: cf. AS. inl[=i]htan. Cf. Enlight.] 1. To supply with light; to illuminate; as, the sun enlightens the earth. His lightnings enlightened the world. --Ps. xcvii. 4. 2. To make clear to the intellect or conscience; to shed the light of truth and knowledge upon; to furnish with increase of knowledge; to instruct; as, to enlighten the mind or understanding. The conscience enlightened by the Word and Spirit of God. --Trench.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(enlightens, enlightening, enlightened) To enlighten someone means to give them more knowledge and greater understanding about something. (FORMAL) A few dedicated doctors have fought for years to enlighten the profession... If you know what is wrong with her, please enlighten me. VERB: no cont, V n, V n • enlightening ...an enlightening talk on the work done at the animal park... ADJ: usu ADJ n

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

en-lit'-'-n:

(1) 'or, "illumination" in every sense, used in the ordinary sense of giving natural light (Ps 97:4 the King James Version; see also Ezr 9:8) or as a sign of health and vigor (1Sa 14:27,29). "His eyes were enlightened," literally, "became bright." He had become weary and faint with the day's exertions and anxieties, and now recovers (see Job 33:30 and compare Ps 13:3). Thus in sickness and grief, the eyes are dull and heavy; dying eyes are glazed; but health and joy render them bright and sparkling, as with a light from within.

(2) In Ps 18:28 the King James Version, The word naghah, figuratively describes the believer's deliverance from the gloom of adversity and the restoration of joy in the knowledge of God.

(3) Most frequently the terms so translated mean the giving of spiritual light to the soul (Ps 19:8; Eph 1:18, photizo; Heb 6:4; 10:32). This spiritual enlightening the Spirit of God brings about through the Divine word (Ps 119:130; 2Ti 3:15; 2Pe 1:19). Sin mars the intellectual discernment; "but he that is spiritual discerneth all things" (1Co 2:15 King James Version, margin).

M. O. Evans

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Illuminate, illume, illumine, irradiate, make light, make luminous, supply with light. 2. Instruct, inform, teach, make intelligent, render more intelligent.

Moby Thesaurus

account for, acculturate, acquaint, advance, advertise, advertise of, advise, allegorize, ameliorate, amend, apprise, awaken, beacon, better, boost, break the spell, brief, brighten, brighten up, bring forward, bring word, broaden the mind, burst the bubble, catechize, civilize, clarify, clear up, coach, communicate, correct, counsel, crack, debunk, decipher, demonstrate, demythologize, direct, disabuse, disappoint, disclose, disenchant, disillude, disillusion, disillusionize, edify, educate, elevate, elucidate, emend, enhance, enrich, euhemerize, exemplify, explain, explain away, explicate, expose, exposit, expound, familiarize, fatten, favor, flood with light, floodlight, forward, foster, give instruction, give lessons in, give notice, give reason for, give the facts, give the meaning, give word, go straight, ground, guide, highlight, illume, illuminate, illumine, illustrate, improve, improve upon, inform, instruct, irradiate, lard, leave word, let down easy, let in on, let know, lift, light, light up, lighten, luminate, make an improvement, make clear, make plain, meliorate, mend, mention to, notify, nurture, open the eyes, overshine, popularize, prick the bubble, promote, put straight, raise, rationalize, reeducate, refine upon, reform, relume, relumine, report, school, send word, serve notice, set right, set straight, sharpen the wits, shed light upon, shine upon, show, show how, show the way, show up, simplify, socialize, solve, speak, spell out, spotlight, straighten out, teach, teach a lesson, teach the rudiments, tell, tell the truth, throw light upon, train, transfigure, transform, tutor, unblindfold, uncharm, undeceive, unfold, unlock, unravel, unspell, upgrade, uplift, verse, wake up