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Glite Dictionary
Light Within

Light Within

1 9.6
A quiet inner feeling that tells people what is right in Quaker belief
  • noun
translation icon : Luz Interior
  • Finding the light within has helped her overcome many personal challenges.

Examples

  • It seems to me to be a metaphor for the human soul, the singular light within the great general light of existence.

    Academic text (2018)

  • During our meditation, we each sought guidance from the light within ourselves.

  • He believes that the light within can lead us to our true purpose in life.

Synonyms

Light
vsLight Within
842 9.9

A spiritual presence that helps a person know what to do

is the Quaker term highlighting personal inner guidance
Inner Light
vsLight Within
  • Jargon
2 9.9

A quiet feeling of God's presence inside a person that guides their choices

is the same belief named with different wording
Christ Within
vsLight Within
  • Jargon
9.9

A spiritual presence believed to live inside each person and guide them

is broader, describing a divine presence without naming a specific figure

Surface Forms

Light Within singular
Light Withins plural

Morphology

Light + within

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'light' as a metaphor for guidance or illumination with 'within' indicating an inner location, yielding the idea of an inner guiding presence. This metaphorical composition (inner light/inner guidance) is common across languages and thus a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer the intended sense even without specific knowledge of Quaker doctrine.

Etymology

Light Within comes from Quaker teaching. Quakers pictured a small light within each person that shows what is right and helps you make choices, so the phrase means 'an inner guide' or 'a divine presence'.