ENLIGHTENMENT


Meaning of ENLIGHTENMENT in English

-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

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.