ILLUMINE Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

illumine

verb

i-ˈlü-mən

Definition of illumine

as in to illuminate

to supply with light small table lamps illumine the inn's dining room in a most romantic way

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to educate

to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding readers of great literature are both entertained and illumined

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of illumine Fantastic, illumined by periodic excursions into surrealism, as when the crew of a mysterious UFO boards a transpacific Kahuna Airlines jet midflight. — Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 Geraldine walked over to Felix and Jane’s for fish soup, through long autumn shadows in the park, haze rising like smoke from the grass, illumined by the low sun. — Tessa Hadley, New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2026 The bar was illumined by candles and an uplit line of mostly esoteric liquors along the full-length mirror against the back wall. — Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 28 Sep. 2024 In a room illumined by the light of a few candles, a group of women with veils over their faces conducts a séance. — Rhoda Feng, ARTnews.com, 9 Aug. 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illumine

Verb

During these windows, sunlight illuminates the rocket's expanding exhaust plume while the sky itself remains mostly dark.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
As a result, most of the Sturgeon Moon could deepen into muted shades of copper, rust and brown, while a slim silver edge remains illuminated by direct sunlight.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of illuminate

Verb

During the tasting experience, experts will educate attendees on the process and history behind each whiskey.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
As one of the world’s leading manta ray research organizations, The Manta Trust is dedicated to educating and conserving habitats for these majestic creatures.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of educate

Verb

During the first hour, pine grove owners urged fire commanders to light a backfire a few hundred yards from Le Porge.

— Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Down the hall, his girlfriend examines her birth chart, lights the palo santo and wonders whether Mercury is going to wreck her Tuesday.

— Ryan Zickgraf, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of light

Verb

Sima Sistani, who led WeightWatchers for close to three years before departing in 2024, is launching Liberation of Flowers, inspired by her Persian roots.

— Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
Eklipse is inspired by Wetscher’s experience when details of the death of his father from AIDS back in the 1990s were kept from him.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of inspire

Browse Nearby Words

illuminative

illumine

illumined

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Style

“Illumine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illumine. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of illumine

verb

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