enlightened
adjective
en·light·ened
| \ in-ˈlī-tᵊnd
, en-\
, en-\
Definition of enlightened
1
: freed from ignorance and misinformation
an enlightened people an enlightened time
2
: based on full comprehension of the problems involved
issued an enlightened ruling
Examples of enlightened in a Sentence
an enlightened approach to prison reform
Recent Examples on the Web
For his whole-hearted promotion of reconciliation instead of retribution a good decade before Nelson Mandela espoused the same philosophy for a post-apartheid South Africa, Mugabe became an international example of enlightened leadership. — Aryn Baker, Time, "Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwean Revolutionary Who Later Ruled With an Iron Fist, Dies at 95," 6 Sep. 2019 This concrete excrescence, remnant of a barbaric plan to encase the city in freeways, isn’t necessary and could be scrubbed off the landscape with a little bit of enlightened leadership. — Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, "Does the Kennedy Center have a vision for its elegant but awkward new annex?," 30 Aug. 2019 As fascinating as the actors’ performances are to watch, their meaning is not so easy to interpret, and many willing viewers will leave the film more bemused than enlightened. — Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Mayor of Rione Sanita' ('Il sindaco di Rione Sanita'): Film Review | Venice 2019," 30 Aug. 2019 On the other hand, many policies and practices that are deemed enlightened are already widespread. — Robert Samuelson, Twin Cities, "Robert Samuelson: ‘Corporate responsibility’ and the lessons of history," 25 Aug. 2019 Finding the right sofa is a job not even the most enlightened among us can do without a few minor headaches. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Customizable furniture brand The Inside wants to sell you your dream sofa," 7 Aug. 2019 Galena’s husband, at first kind and understanding, slowly slips into less-enlightened ways of being. — Donna Freedman, Anchorage Daily News, "In ‘modern fairy tale’ at Cyrano’s, the mysterious disappearance of a woman’s voice," 20 June 2019 Schaden and Amari have recently published books about their old radio passions and in reading them I have been transported, enlightened and entertained. — Rick Kogan, chicagotribune.com, "Why remember radio’s golden age? Why indeed.," 21 Aug. 2019 That transformation combined material progress and personal salvation; socialism was to be a Kingdom of Heaven made by enlightened souls on Earth. — Bathsheba Demuth, The New Yorker, "When the Soviet Union Freed the Arctic from Capitalist Slavery," 15 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'enlightened.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for enlightened
enlightened
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of enlightened
: having or showing a good understanding of how people should be treated : not ignorant or narrow in thinking
See the full definition for enlightened in the English Language Learners Dictionary