enlightenment

[ en-lahyt-n-muhnt ]

noun

1. the act of enlightening.
2. the state of being enlightened:

   to live in spiritual enlightenment.

3. (usually initial capital letter) Buddhism, Hinduism. prajna.
4. the Enlightenment, a philosophical movement of the 18th century, characterized by belief in the power of human reason and by innovations in political, religious, and educational doctrine.

enlightenment

¹

/ ɪnˈlaɪtənmənt /

noun

1. the act or means of enlightening or the state of being enlightened
2. Buddhism the awakening to ultimate truth by which man is freed from the endless cycle of personal reincarnations to which all men are otherwise subject
3. Hinduism a state of transcendent divine experience represented by Vishnu: regarded as a goal of all religion

Enlightenment

²

/ ɪnˈlaɪtənmənt /

noun

1. the Enlightenment
   an 18th-century philosophical movement stressing the importance of reason and the critical reappraisal of existing ideas and social institutions

Enlightenment

1. An intellectual movement of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries marked by a celebration of the powers of human reason, a keen interest in science, the promotion of religious toleration, and a desire to construct governments free of tyranny. Some of the major figures of the Enlightenment were David Hume , Immanuel Kant , John Locke , the Baron de Montesquieu , Jean-Jacques Rousseau , and Voltaire .

Other Words From

• preen·lighten·ment noun
• reen·lighten·ment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of enlightenment¹

First recorded in 1660–70; enlighten + -ment

Example Sentences

In this way, he was also like Tanton, Taylor said in a subsequent conversation, who found his own “quasi-racial consciousness” through his environmental enlightenment.

From Salon

Don’t expect any enlightenment from those of us in the press room.

From Salon

“The love between two friends is sometimes stronger than the love between lovers. You love friends because they’ve taught you life lessons or how to love yourself. It’s all about enlightenment.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Let it Shine” was the thrill of a lifetime, the actual embodiment in song of an acid trip, or maybe enlightenment.

From Los Angeles Times

All this enlightenment before I even get out of bed in the morning.

From Salon

Related Words

• awareness
• civilization
• insight
• literacy
• sophistication
• understanding
• wisdom