v. t. | 1. | To make light; to throw light on; to supply with light, literally or figuratively; to brighten. |
| 2. | To light up; to decorate with artificial lights, as a building or city, in token of rejoicing or respect. |
| 3. | To adorn, as a book or page with borders, initial letters, or miniature pictures in colors and gold, as was done in manuscripts of the Middle Ages. |
| 4. | To make plain or clear; to dispel the obscurity to by knowledge or reason; to explain; to elucidate; as, to illuminate a text, a problem, or a duty. |
v. i. | 1. | To light up in token or rejoicing. |
a. | 1. | Enlightened. |
n. | 1. | One who is enlightened; esp., a pretender to extraordinary light and knowledge. |