different between enlighten vs illumine

English

Etymology

Formerly also inlighten, from Middle English enlightenen, inlightnen, a hybrid formed from inlighten (“to enlighten, illuminate”), from Old English inl?htan, onl?htan, enl?hten (“to enlighten, illuminate, give light to, give sight to”) and lightnen (“to enlighten, illuminate”) (equivalent to light +? -en). Cognate with Dutch inlichten (“to enlighten, inform”), Old High German inliuhten (“to enlighten, illuminate”), Gothic ???????????????????????????????????????? (inliuhtjan, “to enlighten, illuminate”). More at inlight, -en.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?la?t?n/, /?n?la?t?n/, /?n?la?t?n/
• Rhymes: -a?t?n
• Hyphenation: en?light?en

Verb

enlighten (third-person singular simple present enlightens, present participle enlightening, simple past and past participle enlightened)

1. (transitive) To supply with light.

   Synonyms: illumine, illuminate; see also Thesaurus:illuminate

   Antonym: endarken

2. (transitive, figuratively) To make something clear to (someone); to give knowledge or understanding to.

   Synonyms: apprise, notify, inform

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle French illuminer, from Latin ill?min?re.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??l(j)u?m?n/

Verb

illumine (third-person singular simple present illumines, present participle illumining, simple past and past participle illumined)

1. (transitive) To illuminate (something).
   • 1789, Ann Ward Radcliffe, The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne, London: T. Hookham, Chapter 9, p. 185,^[1]

     The moon shone faintly by intervals, through broken clouds upon the waters, illumining the white foam which burst around, and enlightening the scene sufficiently to render it visible.

   • 1890, H. L. Havell (translator), On the Sublime by Longinus (1^st century CE), London: Macmillan, Part I, p. 3,^[2]

     Skill in invention, lucid arrangement and disposition of facts, are appreciated not by one passage, or by two, but gradually manifest themselves in the general structure of a work; but a sublime thought, if happily timed, illumines an entire subject with the vividness of a lightning-flash, and exhibits the whole power of the orator in a moment of time.

   • 2012, Melanie McDonagh, “Where have all the book illustrators gone?” The Independent, 20 January, 2012,^[3]

     […] the possibility that illustrations could actually illumine writing and draw out elements of a narrative doesn’t seem to count for much any more.

2. (intransitive, rare) To light up.
   • 1918, Rebecca West, The Return of the Soldier, Virago 2014, p. 18:

     ‘Shell-shock.’ Our faces did not illumine so she dragged on lamely. ‘Anyway, he's not well.’

Translations

Anagrams

• limuline

French

Verb

illumine

1. first-person singular present indicative of illuminer
2. third-person singular present indicative of illuminer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of illuminer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of illuminer
5. second-person singular imperative of illuminer