enlightenment
noun
en·light·en·ment
in-ˈlī-tᵊn-mənt 
en-
1
: the act or means of enlightening : the state of being enlightened
2
capitalized
: a philosophical movement of the 18th century marked by a rejection of traditional social, religious, and political ideas and an emphasis on rationalism
—used with the
3
Buddhism
: a final blessed state marked by the absence of desire or suffering
Examples of enlightenment in a Sentence
the search for spiritual enlightenment
His comments failed to provide enlightenment.
the enlightenment of the public through education
Recent Examples on the Web
The crawl from one to the other matters as much as the enlightenment itself—skipping the charnel grounds isn’t an option.
—
Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
That this apparent enlightenment leads to bloody basement fistfights is among the film’s core ironies.
—Stephen Kearse, The Atlantic, 15 Oct. 2024
Not only with beauty, of course; impatient rulers liked that Vajrayana promised enlightenment in one lifetime, as opposed to the usual Buddhist dozens, and Kublai Khan spread its teachings as far as his horsemen could ride.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
Like a Buddha that meditated too deeply and passed over enlightenment on the way to raving insanity, modern art had destroyed itself through excessive, nihilistic contemplation.
—Dean Kissick, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for enlightenment 
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Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
That this apparent enlightenment leads to bloody basement fistfights is among the film’s core ironies.
—Stephen Kearse, The Atlantic, 15 Oct. 2024
Not only with beauty, of course; impatient rulers liked that Vajrayana promised enlightenment in one lifetime, as opposed to the usual Buddhist dozens, and Kublai Khan spread its teachings as far as his horsemen could ride.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
Like a Buddha that meditated too deeply and passed over enlightenment on the way to raving insanity, modern art had destroyed itself through excessive, nihilistic contemplation.
—Dean Kissick, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for enlightenment
Dictionary Entries Near enlightenment
Cite this Entry
“Enlightenment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enlightenment. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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