en·light·en (
tr.v. en·light·ened, en·light·en·ing, en·light·ens
- 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).
- To give information to; inform or instruct.
tell; inform, inform of; acquaint, acquaint with; impart, impart to; make acquainted with, apprise, advise, awaken. let fall, mention, express, intimate, represent, communicate, make known; publish, notify, signify, specify, convey the knowledge of. let one know, have one to know; give one to understand; give notice; set before, lay before, put before; point out, put into one's head; put one in possession of; instruct (teach); direct the attention to. announce, annunciate; report, report progress; bringword, send word, leave word, write word; telegraph, telephone; wire; retail, render an account; give an account (describe); state (affirm); disclose. show cause; explain (interpret). hint; given an inkling of; give a hint, drop a hint, throw out a hint; insinuate; allude to, make allusion to; glance at; tip the wink (indicate); suggest, prompt, give the cue, breathe; whisper, whisper in the ear. give a bit of one's mind; tell one plainly, tell once for all; speak volumes. undeceive, unbeguile; set right, correct, open the eyes of, disabuse. be informed of; know; learn; get scent of, gather from; awaken to, open one's eyes to; become alive, become awake to; hear, overhear, understand. come to one's ears, come to one's knowledge; reach one's ears.