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enlightenment

enlightenment

22 5.1
Gaining new knowledge and understanding, often from study or experience
  • noun
  • /ɪnˈlaɪtənmənt/
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  • After years of studying different cultures, he finally experienced a profound sense of enlightenment.
  • attain enlightenment
  • knowledge and enlightenment
  • Western enlightenment

So what my emotional response is, enlightenment is when you feel less confused.

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Examples

  • Have you come to offer me enlightenment?

  • Path to enlightenment is to know yourself.

  • So all of that other stuff, enlightenment, love, those things will come.

  • Read this and follow me to economic enlightenment and power.

  • It's through enlightenment that we are made aware of our limitations.

  • And what he was describing was the way to enlightenment essentially.

  • Bringing enlightenment to the darker regions of the earth.

  • And I just want to sort of pump people's enlightenment regarding the natural world around them.

  • Last but not least, significantly, enlightenment is attained not only once but numerous times.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Thanks for the enlightenment.

Synonyms

education
vsenlightenment
1.0

Learning knowledge and skills, often at school or university

is the act of gaining knowledge from experience rather than formal study
realization
vsenlightenment
  • US
120 3.6

Becoming suddenly aware of something

is a gradual accumulation of knowledge not a sudden insight
awakening
vsenlightenment
54 4.4

A new understanding that makes you see things differently

is general gaining of knowledge rather than a transformative moment
edification
vsenlightenment
  • Formal
7 7.4

Learning that improves the mind or character

is broader focusing on learning not primarily moral improvement
illumination
vsenlightenment
3 5.3

A clear explanation that makes something easier to understand

is broader learning over time rather than a single clarifying explanation

Antonyms

316 3.9

Not knowing about something or how it works

When someone does not understand something correctly and this causes a problem

A state of not knowing or understanding things

Compounds

A European movement that uses reason and science to question old beliefs and support people's rights

How Enlightened

enlightenment
22 5.1
insight
493 4.9
understanding
871 1.1
knowledge
1.0
awareness
336 3.2

Surface Forms

enlightenment singular

Morphology

enlightenment = enlighten (transparent) = en + light + ment

The verb 'enlighten' is a clear formation from 'en-' + 'light' meaning 'make (someone) see or understand', so forming a noun with '-ment' straightforwardly denotes the act or state.

Etymology

Enlightenment comes from the parts en- 'to make' and light 'light', so it originally meant to 'make light' on something; that's why it now means gaining knowledge or clear understanding.