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   il·lu·mi·nate

   /iˈlo͞oməˌnāt/

   verb

   • 1. make (something) visible or bright by shining light on it; light up: "a flash of lightning illuminated the house" Similar lightlight upthrow light oncast light uponbrightenmake brightershine onflood with lightfloodlightirradiateliterary:illumineOpposite darken
   • ▪ decorate (a building or structure) with lights for a special occasion.
   • 2. help to clarify or explain: "placing the events of the 1930s in a broader historical context helps to illuminate their significance" Similar clarifyelucidateexplainrevealmake clearshed light oncast light ongive insight intoclear upmake explicitspell outexplicateexpoundrationalizeOpposite concealconfuse
   • 3. decorate (a page or letter in a manuscript) by hand with gold, silver, or colored designs: "this is a carefully written, large-format manuscript illuminated by Leonardo Bellini" Similar decorateillustrateembellishadornornamentenhanceemblazonhighlight

   Word Origin late Middle English: from Latin illuminat- ‘illuminated’, from the verb illuminare, from in- ‘upon’ + lumen, lumin- ‘light’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. illuminative adjective
   • 2. illuminator noun

   Scrabble Points: 12

   • I

     1

   • L

     1

   • L

     1

   • U

     1

   • M

     3

   • I

     1

   • N

     1

   • A

     1

   • T

     1

   • E

     1

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