verb
enlighten
ihn-LEYE-tuhn
verb
1
To give someone knowledge or understanding about something they didn't previously grasp.
"The tour guide enlightened us about the building's dark history."
"Please, enlighten me — what exactly happened at the meeting?"
How to Use Enlighten
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo help someone understand something by explaining it clearly.
Common pairings
enlighten someone
please enlighten me
Word Forms
enlightened past tense, enlightens singular
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The tour guide _____ us about the building's dark history.
Etymology
From Old English inlīhtan, "to give light to," related to light + -en.