Word
illuminating
Phoneticsil·lu·mi·nat·ing
US/ˌɪˈɫuməˌneɪtɪŋ/
UK/ɪlˈuːmɪnˌeɪtɪŋ/
Definition
adj. making something much easier to understand or providing helpful light. You use it to describe an explanation that makes a difficult topic clear.
adj. providing clarification or insight into a complex subject; literally, serving to shed light upon an object or area. Often used figuratively to describe educational or revelatory experiences.
Examples
“The teacher gave an illuminating explanation of the problem.”
“The documentary provided an illuminating look at the hidden lives of deep-sea creatures that few people ever see.”
“While the initial report was dense and confusing, the follow-up analysis proved highly illuminating, revealing the systemic failures that led to the market crash.”
Examples
simple
“The teacher gave an illuminating explanation of the problem.”
contextual
“The documentary provided an illuminating look at the hidden lives of deep-sea creatures that few people ever see.”
complex
“While the initial report was dense and confusing, the follow-up analysis proved highly illuminating, revealing the systemic failures that led to the market crash.”
Usage
Often follows linking verbs like 'be', 'seem', or 'find'.
Real-World Examples
“The Plant Humanities Initiative at Dumbarton Oaks seeks to explore histories like this one, illuminating the many ways that plants and people have shaped each other across time and place.” “These snapshots are blurry, serving as a record of a historical moment rather than an illuminating portrait of their subjects’ personalities.” Etymology
From illuminate + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/illuminating