illuminate
pronunciation
How to pronounce illuminate in British English:
UK [ɪˈluːmɪneɪt]
How to pronounce illuminate in American English:
US [ɪˈluːmɪneɪt]
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- Verb:
- make lighter or brighter
- make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear
- add embellishments and paintings to (medieval manuscripts)
Word Origin
- illuminate
- illuminate: [16] Etymologically, illuminate is a parallel construction to enlighten. It was formed in the late Latin period from the prefix in- and lūmen ‘light’ (source of English luminous). The past participle of the resulting illumināre gave English illuminate. The medieval-sounding sense ‘illustrate manuscripts’ is actually quite recent, replacing in the 18th century the parallel formation enlumine, acquired by English in the 14th century via Old French enluminer from medieval Latin inlūmināre. Illumine [14] came via Old French illuminer. Illustrate is closely related.=> illustrate, luminous
- illuminate (v.)
- c. 1500, "to light up, shine on," a back-formation from illumination, or else from Latin illuminatus, past participle of illuminare (see illumination). Earlier was enlumyen (late 14c.) "decorate written material with gold, silver, bright colors," from Old French enluminer, from Late Latin inluminare; also illumine (late 14c.). Related: Illuminated; illuminating.
Example
- 1. It will illuminate , protect , and energize you .
- 2. Two final problems illuminate the nation 's vulnerability to disasters .
- 3. But his mistakes illuminate useful truths : that all people share certain aspirations and that history is wide open .
- 4. A friend of mine says , " if I were a lamp , I would illuminate darkness with my light . "
- 5. The spacecraft mapped shackleton crater with unprecedented detail , using a laser to illuminate the crater 's interior and measure its albedo or natural reflectance .