enlighten
verb /ɪnˈlaɪtn/
/ɪnˈlaɪtn/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they enlighten | /ɪnˈlaɪtn/ /ɪnˈlaɪtn/ |
| he / she / it enlightens | /ɪnˈlaɪtnz/ /ɪnˈlaɪtnz/ |
| past simple enlightened | /ɪnˈlaɪtnd/ /ɪnˈlaɪtnd/ |
| past participle enlightened | /ɪnˈlaɪtnd/ /ɪnˈlaɪtnd/ |
| -ing form enlightening | /ɪnˈlaɪtnɪŋ/ /ɪnˈlaɪtnɪŋ/ |
- enlighten somebody to give somebody information so that they understand something better
- She didn't enlighten him about her background.
Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘make luminous’; formerly also as inlighten): in early use from Old English inlīhtan ‘to shine’; later from en-, in- (as an intensifier) + lighten ‘become brighter’ or the noun light.