enlightenment
n. uncountablen. the state of understanding something completely, especially in a spiritual way. When spelled with a capital letter, it refers to a time in the 1700s when people started focusing heavily on science and reason.
n. the state of attaining deep spiritual insight or intellectual clarity. When capitalised, it designates the eighteenth-century European philosophical movement that emphasised reason and individualism over tradition.
The monk meditated for years in search of spiritual enlightenment.
The Enlightenment brought about major shifts in European society, challenging the absolute power of monarchs and the church.
While secular scholars study the Enlightenment for its political and scientific revolutions, spiritual seekers pursue a different kind of enlightenment through rigorous meditation and self-denial.
Proprialization from enlightenment.
The historical movement is always capitalised and preceded by the definite article.