illuminate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To light something up or shine light on it.

   Bright lamps illuminated the garden at night.

2. 2
   verb

   To make something clearer or easier to understand.

   Her explanation helped illuminate a difficult idea.

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.

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