ILLUMINATING

enlightening, informative, illuminating

(adjective) tending to increase knowledge or dissipate ignorance; “an enlightening glimpse of government in action”; “an illuminating lecture”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Adjective

illuminating (comparative more illuminating, superlative most illuminating)

Providing illumination or light.

(figuratively) Providing clarification or explanation; educational, revealing.

Synonyms

• clarifying

• explanatory

• revelatory

Verb

illuminating

present participle of illuminate.

Source: Wiktionary

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Il*lu"mi*na`ting, a.

Definition: Giving or producing light; used for illumination. Illuminating gas. See Gas, n., 2 (a).

ILLUMINATE

Il*lu"mi*nate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Illuminated; p. pr. & vb. n. Illuminating.] Etym: [L. illuminatus, p.p. of illuminare; pref. il- in + luminare to enlighten, fr. lumen light. See Luminous, and cf. Illume, Illumine, Enlimn, Limn.]

1. To make light; to throw light on; to supply with light, literally or figuratively; to brighten.

2. To light up; to decorate with artificial lights, as a building or city, in token of rejoicing or respect.

3. To adorn, as a book or page with borders, initial letters, or miniature pictures in colors and gold, as was done in manuscripts of the Middle Ages.

4. To make plain or clear; to dispel the obscurity to by knowledge or reason; to explain; to elucidate; as, to illuminate a text, a problem, or a duty.

Il*lu"mi*nate, v. i.

Definition: To light up in token or rejoicing.

Il*lu"mi*nate, a. Etym: [L. illuminatus, p.p.]

Definition: Enlightened. Bp. Hall.

Il*lu"mi*nate, n.

Definition: One who enlightened; esp., a pretender to extraordinary light and knowledge.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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