verb
illuminate
ih-LOO-mih-nayt/ɪˈluːmɪneɪt/
To cast light on something previously dark.
The small lamp illuminates the page for the reader.
Etymology
The pieces convey bringing something into light. Physical lighting became an image for explanation: making a subject easier to understand is like making an object easier to see.
In context
my head with what strength i had left my eyes struggling to adjust against the now darkened sky with only the faintest rays of moonlight piercing the cloud cover to illuminate the night
More examples
- Her flashlight illuminated the back of the closet.
- Colored lights illuminate the fountain at night.
- Moonlight is illuminating the path through the woods.
Forms
illuminate · illuminates · illuminated · illuminating
illumination noun — Light cast on an object or area.
Similar words
- light
- The everyday alternative for casting light on something.
- brighten
- Means increasing light, even when something is already visible.