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enlighten

 
Dictionary: en·light·en   (ĕn-līt'n) pronunciation
tr.v., -ened, -en·ing, -ens.
  1. To give spiritual or intellectual insight to: "Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppression of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day" (Thomas Jefferson).
  2. To give information to; inform or instruct.
enlightener en·light'en·er n.

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Thesaurus: enlighten
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verb

  1. To enable (one) to understand, especially in a spiritual sense: edify, illume, illuminate, illumine. See teach/learn.
  2. To impart information to: acquaint, advise, apprise, educate, inform, notify, tell. See knowledge/ignorance, teach/learn.

Antonyms: enlighten
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v

Definition: explain thoroughly; make aware
Antonyms: be vague, bewilder, confound, confuse, delude, mislead, obscure, puzzle


Word Tutor: enlighten
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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: To cause to see or understand clearly.

pronunciation I have always fought for ideas — until I learned that it isn't ideas but grief, struggle, and flashes of vision which enlighten. — Margaret C. Anderson (1886-1973).

Translations: Enlighten
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Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - oplyse, informere, kaste lys på, vække

Nederlands (Dutch)
onderrichten, verlichten, uitleggen

Français (French)
v. tr. - éclairer (qn sur qch)

Deutsch (German)
v. - aufklären

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - διαφωτίζω, φωτίζω

Italiano (Italian)
chiarire, informare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - esclarecer, iluminar (a alma)

Русский (Russian)
просвещать, извещать

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - informar, instruir, iluminar, ilustrar, esclarecer

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - upplysa, lämna information om

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
启发, 教导, 启蒙

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 啟發, 教導, 啟蒙

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 계몽하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 教えてわからせる, 教化する, 啓蒙する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) ينور‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮הסביר, ביאר, הבין‬


 
 
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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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