illumination

noun

il·​lu·​mi·​na·​tion i-ˌlü-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: the action of illuminating or state of being illuminated: such as

a

: spiritual or intellectual enlightenment

b(1)

: a lighting up

the illumination of the room

(2)

: decorative lighting or lighting effects

c

: decoration by the art of illuminating

a medieval manuscript with magnificent illumination

2

: the luminous flux per unit area on an intercepting surface at any given point

3

: one of the decorative features used in the art of illuminating or in decorative lighting

Synonyms of illumination

• explanation
• interpretation
• illustration

Examples of illumination in a Sentence

When taking photographs indoors, use a flash for illumination.

They traveled to the temple in search of spiritual illumination.

an old manuscript with beautiful illuminations

Recent Examples on the Web

What stands out, in fact, is not Himelfarb’s illumination of the mechanics of chess but his insights regarding the psychologies of people. —Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026

During these times, the easiest way to help birds is to turn off unneeded lights at night and to close curtains or blinds to keep interior illumination from spilling outside. —K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2026

The lighting should fall into warmer tones like amber and pale pink, and dimmer switches help control the level of illumination. —Kate Donovan, Martha Stewart, 20 Apr. 2026

There's also a flowing constellation of 10,500 individual lights in different sizes for ambient illumination around the doors and seats. —New Atlas, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English illumynacioun, borrowed from Medieval Latin illūminātiōn-, illūminātiō, going back to Latin, "illustriousness," from illūmināre "to give light to, illuminate entry 1" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for illumination

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

illumination

noun

il·​lu·​mi·​na·​tion il-ˌü-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

a

: the action of illuminating or state of being illuminated

b

: amount of light

2

: gold or colored decoration in a manuscript

Medical Definition

illumination

noun

il·​lu·​mi·​na·​tion il-ˌü-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: the action of supplying or brightening with light or the resulting state

2

: the luminous flux per unit area on an intercepting surface at any given point

called also illuminance

illuminate

il-ˈü-mə-ˌnāt 

transitive verb

illuminated; illuminating