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
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
This full moon should reach peak illumination around 7:49 p.m. ET.
—
Joyce Orlando, The Courier-Journal, 23 Apr. 2024
May's full moon, the Flower Moon, reaches peak illumination on May 23.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2024
The Plena's even illumination makes for rounded highlights behind your subject, even at f/1.8.
—PCMAG, 20 Apr. 2024
The Pink Moon will reach peak illumination at 5:59 p.m.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 17 Apr. 2024
This month's full moon, nicknamed the pink moon, rises on April 17 and reaches peak illumination at 4:48 p.m.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
By swapping in different slides of sandpaper with different grit sizes, researchers can create different illumination patterns and image the same sample multiple times.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Jan. 2024
The piece is eccentrically perforated so that illumination from an LED inside produces eerie patterns.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Automatic in-camera corrections take care of barrel distortion and a vignette, so JPGs and video captures show properly straight lines and decently even illumination across the frame.
—PCMAG, 31 Mar. 2024
Joyce Orlando, The Courier-Journal, 23 Apr. 2024
May's full moon, the Flower Moon, reaches peak illumination on May 23.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2024
The Plena's even illumination makes for rounded highlights behind your subject, even at f/1.8.
—PCMAG, 20 Apr. 2024
The Pink Moon will reach peak illumination at 5:59 p.m.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 17 Apr. 2024
This month's full moon, nicknamed the pink moon, rises on April 17 and reaches peak illumination at 4:48 p.m.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
By swapping in different slides of sandpaper with different grit sizes, researchers can create different illumination patterns and image the same sample multiple times.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Jan. 2024
The piece is eccentrically perforated so that illumination from an LED inside produces eerie patterns.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Automatic in-camera corrections take care of barrel distortion and a vignette, so JPGs and video captures show properly straight lines and decently even illumination across the frame.
—PCMAG, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'illumination.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to illumination
Dictionary Entries Near illumination
Cite this Entry
“Illumination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illumination. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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