ENLIGHTENING Synonyms: 102 Similar and Opposite Words

enlightening 1 of 2

adjective

in-ˈlīt-niŋ

Definition of enlightening

as in instructive

providing useful information or knowledge an enlightening pamphlet about the major changes that consumers can expect from their cable and Internet service providers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

enlightening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of enlighten

as in informing

to give information to the lecturer at the planetarium enlightened us about the latest astronomical discoveries

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in inspiring

to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding many people around the world have been enlightened by the teachings of Gautama Buddha

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of enlightening

Adjective

Plus, a little more detail on Dexcom’s FDA pilot and an enlightening look at how scribes are working their way into medical education. — Mario Aguilar, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026 The Secret Order was canceled after one season, but the show wasn’t exactly working in tandem with Interview With the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat, which would’ve been more interesting or at least more enlightening. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026

Verb

But Taraborrelli believes that revisiting a moment in time when Jackson and his music became a cultural phenomenon, as well as enlightening new generations to his otherworldliness as an entertainer, should be a reason for unity. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026 Beto O’Rourke, thank you so much for joining The David Frum Show and for enlightening us about Texas today. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enlightening

Recent Examples of Synonyms for enlightening

Adjective

Coleman found instructive a 1938 ruling in favor of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who challenged a radio station that placed observers on a rooftop next to Forbes Field and paid them to provide play-by-play for an unauthorized radio broadcast.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Oct. 2026
An instructive discussion about how these evolving markets are approached by one of the sharpest trading firms in the financial industry.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of instructive

Verb

The mass sampling and real-time information gathering on prediction markets can extend their utility to informing business decisions, according to Zitzewitz.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Intarsia cashmere, combinations of leather and chiffon, and silk knitwear are areas of interest, with softness and lightness informing the broader wardrobe.

— Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of informing

Adjective

But their subjective descriptions were a little more informative.

— Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
These informative passages function similarly to footnotes, but without the disruption of having to read minuscule print at the bottom of the page.

— Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of informative

Verb

Public schools, meanwhile, must continue educating eligible children in their districts, regardless of how expensive their needs may be.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
This includes educating and training thousands of engineers, maritime specialists, nuclear tradespeople and other professionals to support the enterprise across its full lifecycle, as per the release.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of educating

Adjective

Prior to her new role, DeGregorio served as senior vice president, managing director of sales for educational/informational programming for HMPG since 2022.

— Mya Copeland, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Courses will focus on teaching methods, instructional development and educational research.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of educational

Verb

The indictment alleges that both men oversaw the dogs, with Stinson advising his son on their proper care.

— Adam Thompson, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Barker recalled giving a mutual guy friend some dating advice about just having fun and hooking up with women, advising him to think of dating as a sport, while trying to not get too emotionally invested.

— Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of advising

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“Enlightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enlightening. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of enlightening

adjective

verb

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