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enlighten

verb

Simple meaning

To make something clear to.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

ehnlytuhn

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ɛnˈlaɪtən

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. transitivefigurative

    To make something clear to (someone); to give knowledge or understanding to.

    “Can you enlighten me--I don't understand this proposal.”

  2. transitive

    To supply with light.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency
Uncommon
Typical Use
Primarily written

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To make something clear to (someone); to give knowledge or understanding to.

Used this way, enlighten is a common word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It quietly approves while staying precise.

Heard in a sentence
“Can you enlighten me--I don't understand this proposal.”
Emotional tone
Positive
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Gentle
How common
Common
Connotation
Clear and precise
Usage feel
Precise and approving

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use enlighten

  • “Can you enlighten me--I don't understand this proposal.”verb

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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • enlightenedadjectiveInflected form

    Having knowledge and spiritual insight.

  • enlighteningadjectiveInflected form

    Tending to increase knowledge or dissipate ignorance.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • enlightenmentnounDerived noun · specialist

    Education that results in understanding and the spread of knowledge.

Related Words

Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.