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

The fourth full moon of 2025 will reach peak illumination at 5.22 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, in California, according to Time and Date. —Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2025

The value of an evaluation like this comes in its illumination of practices and models that can work elsewhere, whether that be in other states or at other levels of office. —Kelly Dittmar, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025

Alongside a limited-edition 1227 lamp, the exhibition debuts the Type 80™ Opal Glass Light, a showcase of streamlined form and soft illumination. —Natalie Stoclet, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

Over time, Earth blocks more and more of the sun, and the illumination drops further. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 6 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for illumination

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

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