enlighten

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“
I wish I could -- enlighten, that is -- but I'm still baffled as to this condescending attitude of "I can do it myself".

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Definitions (10)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. transitive verb To give spiritual or intellectual insight to: "Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppression of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day” (Thomas Jefferson).
  2. transitive verb To give information to; inform or instruct.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (4)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples (50)

  • Agree, enlighten, apprise, acquaint, inform, notify "You advised them Whatever," the demoness agreed crossly. —  Harpy Thyme
  • The view taken in this book is that the “sphinx” approach to Thomas Jefferson tends to mystify rather than enlighten, and can lead to badly skewed misinterpretations. —  Understanding Thomas Jefferson
  • Let the Bible speak, convict, liberate, and enlighten -- not video clips or other special effects. —  The Constructive Curmudgeon
  • The aim is to entertain as well as enlighten, and this movie does just that. —  BellaOnline - The Voice of Women
  • Oh and lawyers and politicians do not debate in order to enlighten, they debate to win. —  RealClimate
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

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enlighten:   enlightened ·  enlightening
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

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/ɛnˈlaɪtn/
by American Heritage

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