illuminate
verb /ɪˈluːmɪneɪt/
/ɪˈluːmɪneɪt/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they illuminate | /ɪˈluːmɪneɪt/ /ɪˈluːmɪneɪt/ |
| he / she / it illuminates | /ɪˈluːmɪneɪts/ /ɪˈluːmɪneɪts/ |
| past simple illuminated | /ɪˈluːmɪneɪtɪd/ /ɪˈluːmɪneɪtɪd/ |
| past participle illuminated | /ɪˈluːmɪneɪtɪd/ /ɪˈluːmɪneɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form illuminating | /ɪˈluːmɪneɪtɪŋ/ /ɪˈluːmɪneɪtɪŋ/ |
- illuminate something (formal) to shine light on something
- Floodlights illuminated the stadium.
- The earth is illuminated by the sun.
Extra Examples- The red glow of the sun beautifully illuminated the sky.
- The room was dimly illuminated by the soft glow of his bedside lamp.
- With the room fully illuminated, they students were able to see what they were doing.
- The corridor was illuminated by a single naked bulb.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- brightly
- brilliantly
- clearly
- …
- illuminate something (formal) to make something clearer or easier to understand synonym clarify
- This text illuminates the philosopher's early thinking.
Extra Examples- These confessions serve to illuminate his argument.
- an incident which greatly illuminated the problems we faced
- His explanation obscured more than it illuminated.
- The study of language can help to illuminate how the human mind works.
- This area of medicine has been greatly illuminated by recent advances in genetics.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- greatly
- help (to)
- serve to
- illuminate something to decorate a street, building, etc. with bright lights for a special occasion
- illuminate something (literary) to make a person’s face, etc. seem bright and excited synonym light up (2)
- Her smile illuminated her entire being.
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin illuminat- ‘illuminated’, from the verb illuminare, from in- ‘upon’ + lumen, lumin- ‘light’.