Origin: Latin suffix -ate
Illuminate has 6 different meanings across 1 category:
Someone thought to have an unusual degree of enlightenment.
"After years of meditation, she seemed to illuminate her fellow villagers with a profound and uncommon spiritual clarity that they had never seen before."
make lighter or brighter
"This lamp lightens the room a bit"
make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear
"Could you clarify these remarks?"
"Clear up the question of who is at fault"
add embellishments and paintings to (medieval manuscripts)
"The monk spent weeks illuminating the ancient manuscript with intricate gold leaf and vivid floral motifs."
To shine light on something.
"The streetlamp illuminated the wet pavement, revealing every puddle in its path."
enlightened
"Reading that biography truly illuminated my understanding of how his early struggles shaped his later philosophy."