illumination

noun

il·​lu·​mi·​na·​tion i-ˌlü-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: the action of illuminating or state of being illuminated: such as

a

: spiritual or intellectual enlightenment

b(1)

: a lighting up

(2)

: decorative lighting or lighting effects

c

: decoration by the art of illuminating

2

: the luminous flux per unit area on an intercepting surface at any given point

3

: one of the decorative features used in the art of illuminating or in decorative lighting

Synonyms

• clarification
• construction
• elucidation
• exegesis
• explanation
• explication
• exposition
• illustration
• interpretation
• road map

Examples of illumination in a Sentence

When taking photographs indoors, use a flash for illumination.

They traveled to the temple in search of spiritual illumination.

an old manuscript with beautiful illuminations

Recent Examples on the Web

December's full moon will reach peak illumination on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 4:02 a.m. EST, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. —Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024

The Cold Moon, December's full moon, will reach peak illumination on Sunday, Dec. 15. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 10 Dec. 2024

When is the full moon in December 2024? Sunday, Dec. 15, is when the Cold Moon reaches peak illumination, according to NASA. —John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 10 Dec. 2024

Key drivers of this illumination include oil and gas extraction and mining operations. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

illumination

noun

il·​lu·​mi·​na·​tion il-ˌü-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

a

: the action of illuminating or state of being illuminated

b

: amount of light

2

: gold or colored decoration in a manuscript

Medical Definition

illumination

noun

il·​lu·​mi·​na·​tion il-ˌü-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: the action of supplying or brightening with light or the resulting state

2

: the luminous flux per unit area on an intercepting surface at any given point

called also illuminance

illuminate

il-ˈü-mə-ˌnāt 

transitive verb

illuminated; illuminating