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il·lu·mi·nate
 illuminate
- pronunciation:
- ih
lu
m
neIt
- parts of speech:
- transitive verb, intransitive verb
- features:
- Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
illuminated, illuminates, illuminating |
| definition 1: |
to provide or brighten with or as if with light; light up; make radiant.
Lights illuminated the stage.- synonyms:
- brighten, illumine, light
- antonyms:
- darken
- similar words:
- floodlight, irradiate, lighten, spotlight
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| definition 2: |
to make clear or understandable; clarify; explain.
The footnotes help to illuminate the text.- synonyms:
- clarify, elucidate, explicate, illustrate
- antonyms:
- confuse, darken, obscure
- similar words:
- account, explain, expose, get across, reveal, uncover
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| definition 3: |
to give knowledge to; enlighten.
Will you illuminate us as to your intentions?- synonyms:
- edify, educate, enlighten, inform
- similar words:
- advise, awaken, elevate, enable, inspire, school, uplift
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| definition 4: |
to decorate (a letter, manuscript, or the like) with colored designs.
- similar words:
- decorate, embellish, emblazon, illustrate
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| related words: |
clarify, color, flash, story |
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| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| definition: |
to become illuminated.
- synonyms:
- brighten, illumine, light up
- antonyms:
- darken
- similar words:
- clear, incandesce, lighten, phosphoresce
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| derivations: |
illuminable (adj.), illuminative (adj.), illuminatingly (adv.), illuminator (n.) |
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