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illuminating

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
il·lu·mi·nate  (-lm-nt)
v. il·lu·mi·nat·ed, il·lu·mi·nat·ing, il·lu·mi·nates
v.tr.
1. To provide or brighten with light.
2. To decorate or hang with lights.
3. To make understandable; clarify: "Cleverly made attacks can . . . serve to illuminate important differences between candidates" (New Republic).
4. To enlighten intellectually or spiritually; enable to understand.
5. To endow with fame or splendor; celebrate.
6. To adorn (a page of a book, for example) with ornamental designs, miniatures, or lettering in brilliant colors or precious metals.
7. To expose to or reveal by radiation.
v.intr.
1. To become lighted; glow.
2. To provide intellectual or spiritual enlightenment and understanding: "Once you decide to titillate instead of illuminate, you're on a slippery slope" (Bill Moyers).
3. To be exposed to or revealed by radiation.
n. (-nt)
One who has or professes to have an unusual degree of enlightenment.

[Middle English illuminaten, from Latin illminre, illmint- : in-, in; see in-2 + lminre, to light up (from lmen, lmin-, light; see leuk- in Indo-European roots).]

il·lumi·nating·ly adv.

illuminating [ɪˈluːmɪˌneɪtɪŋ]
adj
serving to inform or clarify; instructive
illuminatingly  adv
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj.1.illuminating - tending to increase knowledge or dissipate ignorance; "an enlightening glimpse of government in action"; "an illuminating lecture"

illuminating
adjective informative, revealing, enlightening, helpful, explanatory, instructive It's illuminating to compare press coverage of the story.
confusing, puzzling, obscuring, unhelpful
Translations
illuminating [ɪˈluːmɪneɪtɪŋ] ADJ [remark, observation] → esclarecedor; [lecture, experience] → instructivo
illuminating [ɪˈluːmɪneɪtɪŋ] adjéclairant(e)
illuminating
adj (= instructive)aufschlussreich
illuminating [ɪˈluːmɪˌneɪtɪŋ] adj (comments, remark) → chiarificatore/trice; (experience, book) → istruttivo/a


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The flames swept over the dunes rosily, flinging their cardinal banners against the dark gulf beyond, and illuminating the channel and the fishing village.
I am telling the history of very simple people, who had never had any illuminating doubts as to personal integrity and honor.
This noise, following like the yellings of eager, metallic hounds, increased to a loud and joyous burst, and then, as the sun went serenely up the sky, throwing illuminating rays into the gloomy thickets, it broke forth into prolonged pealings.
 
 
 
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