1 enlightening | Definition of enlightening

enlightening

adjective
en·​light·​en·​ing | \ in-ˈlÄ«t-niÅ‹ How to pronounce enlightening (audio) , -ˈlÄ«-tᵊn-iÅ‹, en-\

Definition of enlightening

: providing or tending to provide knowledge, understanding, or insight a very enlightening discussion … he takes readers on enlightening excursions through the nature of Judaism, Hegelian philosophy, wherever his curiosity heads.— George Johnson

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Other Words from enlightening

enlighteningly adverb

Examples of enlightening in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Immersing yourself in another language can often be a liberating and enlightening experience. The New Yorker, "Sunday Reading: In Another Tongue," 18 Aug. 2019 Taking a new approach to your love life could prove enlightening. Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive.com, "Horoscope for Aug. 7, 2019: Happy birthday Michael Shannon; Capricorn, Rome wasn’t built in a day," 7 Aug. 2019 With your help those stories can be both enlightening and inspiring. George Rodrigue, cleveland.com, "Help us celebrate Cleveland’s Champions by nominating your local heroes: George Rodrigue," 31 July 2019 In her new book Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark, Cecelia Watson ventures into the long history and usage of semicolons, and the results are tremendously enlightening. Tobias Carroll, Longreads, "‘My Teachers Said We Weren’t Allowed To Use Them.’," 30 July 2019 As the film progresses, different ways of thinking about commerce as well as beekeeping and the natural world come together in a story that is sometimes funny, sometimes beautiful, and often enlightening. Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "The gorgeous documentary about a Macedonian beekeeper is in theaters.," 26 July 2019 Thanks to an Easter egg found in Stranger Things 3, fans were able to hear an enlightening answering machine message that hints at Season 4. Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Stranger Things Season 4 Theories Are Already Flooding the Internet," 21 July 2019 The show has cast members from different parts of the country sharing their poignant, raw, funny and enlightening journey through life. San Diego Union-Tribune, "In ‘Silent NO MORE,’ sharing experiences about growing up deaf, hard of hearing," 29 June 2019 Natural selection, like these other laws, is a marvelous and enlightening thing to learn about, but not to learn from. David P. Barash, WSJ, "‘Life Finds a Way’ and ‘Good Enough’ Review: The Drive to Thrive," 28 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'enlightening.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of enlightening

1574, in the meaning defined above

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