illumination
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the light that comes from a source, or the act of lighting up a place.
the act of supplying with light or the state of being illuminated by a source.
Simple“The street lamps provided just enough illumination to see the path ahead.”
In context“The architect relied on natural illumination from the skylights to reduce the building's dependence on electrical systems during the day.”
UsageUncountable when referring to the state of being lit; countable when referring to a specific source of light.
- 02 C1 Advanced
the act of making something clear or easy to understand.
the process of making something clear or providing intellectual or spiritual enlightenment.
Simple“The lecture provided some illumination on the complex causes of the war.”
In context“The philosopher sought spiritual illumination through years of silent meditation and rigorous study of ancient texts.”
UsageUsually uncountable in this figurative sense.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
the gold, silver, or bright colours used to decorate old handwritten books.
the decoration of manuscripts or books with coloured illustrations, gold, or silver.
Simple“The medieval Bible was famous for its beautiful gold illumination.”
In context“Scholars examined the intricate illumination in the margins of the fourteenth-century manuscript to identify the specific workshop that produced it.”
Synonyms
“The effect also occurred at illumination levels similar to those found indoors or outside on an overcast day.”
“Rounding out the controls are a power button and a button for the lights (which can switch between two angles of forward illumination, the higher one making you more visible to cars).”
Borrowed from Middle French illumination, from Late Latin illuminatio, from Latin illumino. Equivalent to illuminate + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.