Nominal Forms
Infinitive: to enlighten
Participle: enlightened
Gerund: enlightening
Cognates
-
Indicative
Present
| I | enlighten |
| you | enlighten |
| he;she;it | enlightens |
| we | enlighten |
| you | enlighten |
| they | enlighten |
Perfect
| I | have enlightened |
| you | have enlightened |
| he;she;it | has enlightened |
| we | have enlightened |
| you | have enlightened |
| they | have enlightened |
Past
| I | enlightened |
| you | enlightened |
| he;she;it | enlightened |
| we | enlightened |
| you | enlightened |
| they | enlightened |
Pluperfect
| I | had enlightened |
| you | had enlightened |
| he;she;it | had enlightened |
| we | had enlightened |
| you | had enlightened |
| they | had enlightened |
Future
| I | will enlighten |
| you | will enlighten |
| he;she;it | will enlighten |
| we | will enlighten |
| you | will enlighten |
| they | will enlighten |
Future Perfect
| I | will have enlightened |
| you | will have enlightened |
| he;she;it | will have enlightened |
| we | will have enlightened |
| you | will have enlightened |
| they | will have enlightened |
Subjunctive
Present
| I | enlighten |
| you | enlighten |
| he;she;it | enlighten |
| we | enlighten |
| you | enlighten |
| they | enlighten |
Perfect
| I | have enlightened |
| you | have enlightened |
| he;she;it | have enlightened |
| we | have enlightened |
| you | have enlightened |
| they | have enlightened |
Imperfect
| I | enlightened |
| you | enlightened |
| he;she;it | enlightened |
| we | enlightened |
| you | enlightened |
| they | enlightened |
Pluperfect
| I | had enlightened |
| you | had enlightened |
| he;she;it | had enlightened |
| we | had enlightened |
| you | had enlightened |
| they | had enlightened |
Conditional
Present
| I | would enlighten |
| you | would enlighten |
| he;she;it | would enlighten |
| we | would enlighten |
| you | would enlighten |
| they | would enlighten |
Perfect
| I | would have enlightened |
| you | would have enlightened |
| he;she;it | would have enlightened |
| we | would have enlightened |
| you | would have enlightened |
| they | would have enlightened |
Imperative
| you | enlighten |
| we | Let's enlighten |
| you | enlighten |
Verbs conjugated like 'enlighten'
abandon,
abduct,
abear,
aberr,
abject,
abord,
abort,
abound,
abraid,
abray,
abrook,
abscind,
abscond,
absist,
absorb,
abstain,
abstract,
accend,
accent,
accept, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)
Verbs similar to 'enlighten'
inlighten,
benighten,
blighten,
enlight,
illighten,
lighten,
nighten,
slighten,
untighten,
brighten,
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
- to communicate knowledge or information
- acquaint, apprise, impart, inform, let know, notify, tell
- to supply with light
- belight, beshine, illume, illuminate, illumine, illustrate, irradiate, light, light up, lighten, shed light on
- educate
- edify, acquaint, tell, inform, instruct, teach
- illumine
- illuminate, reveal, inspirit, elucidate
Antonyms
- to render someone less able to understand
- clarify, distinguish, inspire, judicate, mediate, organise, organize, reconcile, stabilize, confuse
Additional Information
Phrasal Verbs
Etymology
1. 1382 (O.E. had
inlihtan), "to remove the dimness or blindness (usually figurative) from one's eyes or heart," from
en- + lighten.
Enlightenment is 1669 in the spiritual sense; 1865 as a translation of Ger.
Aufklärung, a name for the spirit and system of Continental philosophers in the 18c.
"The philosophy of the Enlightenment insisted on man's essential autonomy: man is responsible to himself, to his own rational interests, to his self-development, and, by an inescapable extension, to the welfare of his fellow man. For the philosophes, man was not a sinner, at least not by nature; human nature -- and this argument was subversive, in fact revolutionary, in their day -- is by origin good, or at least neutral. Despite the undeniable power of man's antisocial passions, therefore, the individual may hope for improvement through his own efforts -- through education, participation in politics, activity in behalf of reform, but not through prayer." [Peter Gay]
2. Formerly also inlighten, from Middle English enlightenen, inlightnen, a hybrid formed from inlighten (“to enlighten, illuminate”), from Old English inlīhtan, onlīhtan, enlīhtan (“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 𐌹𐌽𐌻𐌹𐌿𐌷𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (inliuhtjan, “to enlighten, illuminate”). More at inlight, -en. See: Dutch '
inlichten'.
Sample Sentences
-
[...] need to be told, however, that the opportunities of communicating with her, were very, very limited; and that the moral effects of her wretched state soon began to appear. Those who cannot be enlightened by reason, can only be controlled by force; and this, coupled with her great privations, must soon have reduced her to a worse condition than that of the beasts that perish, but for timely and [...]
(American Notes for General Circulation)
-
[...] called, in a situation excellently adapted for the purpose, several charitable institutions are clustered together. One of these, is the State Hospital for the insane; admirably conducted on those enlightened principles of conciliation and kindness, which twenty years ago would have been worse than heretical, and which have been acted upon with so much success in our own pauper Asylum at Hanwell. [...]
(American Notes for General Circulation)
-
‘Oh ! ’ said I, like a man suddenly enlightened. For he looked at me for an answer.
(American Notes for General Circulation)
-
[...] Kentuckian, who had not been instructed in his constitutional relations, and consequently was betrayed into acting in a sort of Christianized manner, which, if he had been better situated and more enlightened, he would not have been left to do.
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
[...] of all our society; and, if need be, sacrificing himself in the battle. That is, I mean that _I_ could not be a Christian otherwise, though I have certainly had intercourse with a great many enlightened and Christian people who did no such thing; and I confess that the apathy of religious people on this subject, their want of perception of wrongs that filled me with horror, have engendered in me [...]
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)