illuminate
[verb]
Synonyms:
- light up, brighten
- explain, clarify, clear up, elucidate, enlighten, interpret, make clear, shed light on

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Contrasted words: blur, cloud, darken, dim, dull, obscure, pale, becloud, obfuscate, overshadow, shadow, baffle, confound, confuse, mystify, pose, puzzle, stump
Related Idioms: shed light on (or upon)
Related Words: brighten, irradiate, floodlight, highlight, spotlight, fire, ignite, kindle, better, improve, ennoble, exalt, refine, finish, mature, perfect, polish, construe, define, dramatize, expound, express, gloss, interpret

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

il‧lu‧mi‧nate /ɪˈluːməneɪt, ɪˈluːmɪneɪt, ɪˈljuː- $ ɪˈluː-/ (also illumine) verb [transitive]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: past participle of illuminare, from lumen 'light']

1. to make a light shine on something, or to fill a place with light:
A single candle illuminated his face.
At night the canals are beautifully illuminated.

2. formal to make something much clearer and easier to understand:
The report illuminated the difficult issues at the heart of science policy.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

illuminate
verb
I. give light to sth
ADV. brightly, clearly | dimly, faintly, softly The room was dimly illuminated by the soft glow of his bedside lamp.
briefly | suddenly

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

illuminate
II. make sth clear
ADV. greatly, vividly an incident which vividly illuminated the problems we faced
VERB + ILLUMINATE help (to) The study of the present also helps to illuminate the past.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲