illumine

Etymology

From Middle English illuminen (“to light, light up; to shine; (figuratively) to enlighten spiritually; to make illustrious”) [and other forms], from Old French illuminer (“to light up, illuminate; (figuratively) to enlighten”) (modern French illuminer), from Latin illūmināre, the present active infinitive of illūminō (“to light up, illuminate; to brighten; to adorn; to make conspicuous”), from il- (variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘in, within’; intensifying prefix)) + lūminō (“to illuminate; to brighten; (figuratively) to reveal”) (from lūmen (“light; light source; (poetic) brightness; daylight”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“to shine; to see; bright”)) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)).

verb

1. Synonym of illuminate
   1. (transitive)
      1. (also figurative) To shine light on (something).
         Thou Krishna, or the sun] art the being to whom heroes pray in peril of war, nor are their supplications vain when thus they pray, whether it be when thou illuminest the eastern region with thy orient light, when in thy meridian splendour, or when thou majestically descendest in the west. 1798, [Thomas Maurice], “Concerning the Invasion of India by Semiramis, Queen of Assyria, as Detailed by Classical Writers; with Introductory Remarks Relative to the History of that Ancient Empire and Persia, as Given in the Poorauns. [Literal Translation of a Hymn to Creeshna, or the Sun, from an Ancient Irish Manuscript.]”, in General Valancey, transl., The History of Hindostan; Its Arts, and Its Sciences, as Connected with the History of the Other Great Empires of Asia, during the Most Ancient Periods of the World.[…], volume II, London: […] H. L. Galabin, for the author; and sold by T. Gardiner,[…], →OCLC, page 170
         Skill in invention, lucid arrangement and disposition of facts, are appreciated not by one passage, or by two, but gradually manifest themselves in the general structure of a work; but a sublime thought, if happily timed, illumines an entire subject with the vividness of a lightning-flash, and exhibits the whole power of the orator in a moment of time. 1890, attributed to [Cassius] Longinus, “Part I”, in H. L. Havell, transl., On the Sublime[…], London, New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, pages 2–3
         [T]he possibility that illustrations could actually illumine writing and draw out elements of a narrative doesn’t seem to count for much any more. 20 January 2012, Melanie McDonagh, “Where have all the book illustrators gone?”, in The Independent, London: Independent News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2016-12-31
      2. (also figurative) To cause (something) to glow or shine with light.
      3. (figurative)
         1. To enlighten (someone) spiritually; to induce (someone) to adopt, or believe in the truth of, a religion, religious tenet, etc.
            Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect, didst thou call to me, my holy and divine teacher, thou Jesus Christ, who illuminedst the spirit world with a light, which was not of this world; […] 1840, C[hristoph] C[hristian] Sturm, “February XXI. The World, the Mirror of Eternity.”, in Robert Huish, transl., Evening Devotions; or, The Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth for Every Day in the Year.[…], London: William Wright[…], →OCLC, page 148
         2. To cause (the eyes) to see.
         3. To cause (a person or their face) to show enlightenment, happiness, etc.
         4. (rare) To enlighten (someone) intellectually.
         5. (art) To decorate (a page of a manuscript book) with ornamental designs.
   2. (intransitive)
      1. To become bright; to light up.
      2. (figurative)
         1. To enlighten intellectually.
         2. Of a person or their face: to show enlightenment, happiness, etc.