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REFERENCE

enlighten

v.
C1 Advanced US //ˌɛnˈɫaɪtən// UK //ɛnlˈaɪtən// en·light·en

v. to give someone more knowledge or understanding about a topic. You use this when you help someone see the truth about a situation.

v. to provide someone with greater knowledge, understanding, or spiritual insight. Often used in the passive voice to describe a state of being informed.


SIMPLE

Could you enlighten me on how this new software works?

CONTEXTUAL

The documentary aims to enlighten the public about the environmental impact of fast fashion.

COMPLEX

While the professor's lecture did much to enlighten the students on the historical context of the treaty, many still struggled with its modern legal implications.

Synonyms
Origin

Formerly also inlighten, from Middle English enlightenen, inlightnen, a hybrid formed from inlighten (“to enlighten, illuminate”), from Old English inlīhtan, onlīhtan, enlīhtan (“to enlighten, illuminate, give light to, give sight to”) and lightnen (“to enlighten, illuminate”) (equivalent to light + -en). Cognate with Dutch inlichten (“to enlighten, inform”), Old High German inliuhten (“to enlighten, illuminate”), Gothic 𐌹𐌽𐌻𐌹𐌿𐌷𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (inliuhtjan, “to enlighten, illuminate”). More at inlight, -en.

Usage

Transitive verb; often followed by the preposition 'on' or 'about' when specifying the subject matter.

Pitfall

He enlightened to me the situationHe enlightened me on the situationEnlighten is a transitive verb that takes the person as a direct object; it does not use 'to' before the person.

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