v.tr. 1 light up; make bright. 2 decorate (buildings etc.) with lights as a sign of festivity. 3 decorate (an initial letter, a manuscript, etc.) with gold, silver, or brilliant colours. 4 help to explain (a subject etc.). 5 enlighten spiritually or intellectually. 6 shed lustre on. illuminating adj. illuminatingly adv. illumination n. illuminative adj. illuminator n.
[ L illuminare (as IN-(2), lumen luminis light) ]