noun
enlightenment
ihn-LEYE-tuhn-muhnt
noun
1
The state of having clear understanding, insight, or wisdom.
"He described a moment of sudden enlightenment while meditating."
name
1
The Enlightenment: an 17th-and-18th-century European intellectual movement that championed reason and science over tradition and superstition.
"Philosophers of the Enlightenment challenged the authority of the church and monarchy."
How to Use Enlightenment
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA state of deep understanding or wisdom — or, capitalized, the historical era of reason-driven European thought.
Common pairings
seek enlightenment
the Age of Enlightenment
spiritual enlightenment
Word Forms
enlightenments plural
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Etymology
From enlighten + -ment.