-t ə nmənt noun
( -s )
1. : the act or means of enlightening : the state of being enlightened
the gradual attaining of spiritual enlightenment
2.
a. usually capitalized : a philosophic movement of the 18th century characterized by an untrammeled but frequently uncritical use of reason, a lively questioning of authority and traditional doctrines and values, a tendency toward individualism, and an emphasis on the idea of universal human progress and on the empirical method in science — used with the
b. : a mental attitude in the spirit of the Enlightenment ; also : a movement or period resembling the Enlightenment
3. : the ultimate goal of the Taoist and Buddhist religious life:
a. Taoism : the state of being in harmony with the laws of the universe
b. Buddhism : the realization of ultimate universal truth