illuminating

adjective

il·​lu·​mi·​nat·​ing i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnā-tiŋ 

: providing insight, clarity, or understanding : highly informative

an illuminating remark/discussion

… much of the information is quite illuminating …

—Glenn Kenny

illuminatingly adverb

Synonyms of illuminating

• instructive
• informative
• educational
• educative
• instructional
• informational

Examples of illuminating in a Sentence

the show is an illuminating tutorial on ways to prepare popular dishes using wholesome ingredients

Recent Examples on the Web

For Jay Li, a Chinese national who arrived in the first, 2017 class after attending the University of Rochester and working for the NBA in New York, a sojourn to Suzhou in Eastern China near Shanghai was especially illuminating. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 2 May 2026

After all, this month energizes your fifth house of creativity, romance and self-expression in a way that feels both exciting and illuminating. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026

Florida’s public universities provide an illuminating contrast. —Jason Jewell, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026

Watching Irina Morozova use her own tooth to have a few illuminating chats with her fellow inmates via Morse code, I was powerfully reminded of the gulf between her, a woman made of adamantium, and me, a soft little house cat in human form. —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of illuminate entry 1

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for illuminating

• accelerating
• accentuating
• accommodating
• accumulating
• adjudicating
• administrating
• affiliating
• agglutinating
• alienating
• alleviating
• amalgamating
• ameliorating