Enlightenment broadly means the realization or the acquisition of new wisdom or understanding. As the word «en-lighten» implies, it connotes to bring one from darkness, ignorance, or blindness to light and awakening.[1] However, the English word pertains to two distinct concepts: Religious or spiritual enlightenment (German: Erleuchtung) and secular or intellectual enlightenment (German: Aufklärung).
In the religious sense, enlightenment is most closely associated with South and East Asian religious experiences, being used to translate words such as Bodhi or satori in Buddhism, or moksha in Hinduism and other Indian religious traditions. The concept does also have parallels in the Abrahamic religions, that is, in the Kabbalah tradition in Judaism, in Christian mysticism, and in the Sufi tradition of Islam.
In its secular use, the concept refers mainly to the European intellectual movement known as the Age of Enlightenment, also called the Age of Reason, referring to philosophical developments related to scientific rationality in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Enlightenment in Eastern traditions
Bodhi (Buddhism)
Bodhi (बोधि) is the Pāli and Sanskrit word for the «awakened» or «knowing» consciousness of a fully liberated yogi, generally translated into English as «enlightenment.» It is an abstract noun formed from the verbal root budh (to awake, become aware, notice, know or understand), corresponding to the verbs bujjhati (Pāli) and bodhati or budhyate (Sanskrit). The term Bodhi is mostly used in Buddhist context.
In early Buddhism, Bodhi carries a meaning synonymous to Nirvana, using only some different metaphors to describe the experience, which implied the extinction of raga (greed), dosa (hate), and moha (delusion). In the later school of Mahayana Buddhism, the status of Nirvana was downgraded, coming to refer only to the extinction of greed and hate, implying that delusion was still present in one who attained Nirvana, and that one needed to attain Bodhi to eradicate delusion.[2] The result is that according to Mahayana Buddhism, the Arahant attains only Nirvana, thus still being subject to delusion, while the Bodhisattva attains Bodhi. In Theravada Buddhism, Bodhi and Nirvana carry the same meaning, that of being freed from craving, hate and delusion.
Satori (Zen Buddhism)
Satori (悟 Korean oh; Japanese satori; Chinese Wù) is a Japanese Buddhist term for enlightenment. The word literally means «understanding.» It is sometimes loosely used interchangeably with Kensho, but Kensho refers to the first perception of the Buddha-Nature or True-Nature, sometimes referred to as «awakening.» Kensho is not a permanent state of enlightenment, but rather a clear glimpse of the true nature of creation. Satori, on the other hand, refers to «deep» or lasting enlightenment. According to D.T. Suzuki, «Satori is the raison d’être of Zen, without which Zen is not Zen. Therefore every contrivance, disciplinary and doctrinal, is directed towards satori.»[3] Satori can be found in every moment of life; it lies hidden in all daily activities that are to be unwraped to reveal «satori.»
As an analogy, one may think of a baby when it first walks. After much effort, it stands upright, finds its balance, and walks a few steps (kensho), then falls. After continued effort the child will one day find that it is able to walk all the time (satori).
Once the True-Nature has been seen, it is customary to use satori when referring to the enlightenment of the Buddha and the Patriarchs, as their enlightenment was permanent.
The Zen Buddhist experience commonly recognizes enlightenment as a transitory thing in life, almost synonymous with the English term epiphany, and satori is the realization of a state of epiphanic enlightenment. Because all things are transitory according to Zen philosophy, however, the transitory nature of satori is not regarded as limiting in the way that a transitory epiphany would be in Western understandings of enlightenment.
D.T. Suzuki writes that «Samadhi alone is not enough, you must come out of that state, be awakened from it, and that awakening is Prajna. That movement of coming out of samadhi, and seeing it for what it is, that is satori.»[4]
Moksha (Hinduism and some other Indian religious traditions)
In Indian religions (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), Moksha (Sanskrit: मोक्ष, liberation) or Mukti (Sanskrit: मुक्ति, release) refers to liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth and all of the suffering and limitation of worldly existence. In Hindu philosophy, it is seen as a transcendence of phenomenal being, of any sense of material consciousness, time, space, and causation (karma). It is not seen as a soteriological goal in the same sense as in a Christian context, but signifies a dissolution of the material self to uncover the underlying, pure spirit: The undoing of conditioned mentality-materiality or nama-roopa (lit. name-form) to uncover one’s eternal identity. Liberation is achieved by (and accompanied with) the complete stilling of all material passions—a state of being known as Nirvana. Buddhist thought differs slightly from the Advaita Vedantist reading of liberation.
Symbol
Nelumbo nucifera, commonly known as the Lotus.
The lotus flower is sometimes used as a symbol of enlightenment.
The lotus has its roots in the mud,
Grows up through the deep water,
And rises to the surface.
It blooms into perfect beauty and purity in the sunlight.
It is like the mind unfolding to perfect joy and wisdom.
Enlightenment in Western philosophical tradition
In the Western philosophical tradition, the Enlightenment is seen as a phase in cultural history marked by a faith in reason, generally accompanied by rejection of faith in revealed or institutional religion.
Kant’s definition of «Enlightenment»
Kant’s opening paragraph of the essay is a much-cited definition of the Enlightenment:
Enlightenment is man’s emergence from self imposed immaturity («Unmündigkeit,» translated here as the phrase «immaturity and dependence» can also be read as «nonage») for which he himself was responsible. Immaturity and dependence are the inability to use one’s own intellect[1] without the direction of another. One is responsible for this immaturity and dependence, if its cause is not a lack of intelligence, but a lack of determination and courage to think without the direction of another. Sapere aude! Dare to know! is therefore the slogan of the Enlightenment.
The German word «Unmündigkeit» means not having attained the age of majority or legal adulthood. It is sometimes also translated as «tutelage» or «nonage» (the condition of «not [being] of age»). Kant, whose moral philosophy is centered around the concept of autonomy, is distinguishing here between a person who is intellectually autonomous and one who keeps him/herself in an intellectually heteronymous, that is, a dependent and immature status.
«Answering the Question: What is Enlightenment?» by Kant
The first page of the 1799 version
«Answering the Question: What is Enlightenment?» (German: «Beantwortung der Frage: Was ist Aufklärung?«) is the title of a 1784 essay by the philosopher Immanuel Kant. In the December 1784 publication of the Berlinische Monatsschrift (Berlin Monthly), edited by Friedrich Gedike and Johann Erich Biester, Kant replied to the question posed a year earlier by the Reverend Johann Friedrich Zöllner, who was also an official in the Prussian government. Zöllner’s question was addressed to a broad intellectual public, in reply to Biester’s essay, entitled: «Proposal, not to engage the clergy any longer when marriages are conducted» (April 1783) and a number of leading intellectuals replied with essays, of which Kant’s is the most famous and has had the most impact. Kant’s opening paragraph of the essay is a much-cited definition of a lack of Enlightenment as people’s inability to think for themselves due not to their lack of intellect, but lack of courage.
Kant’s essay also addressed the causes of a lack of enlightenment and the preconditions necessary to make it possible for people to enlighten themselves. He held it necessary that all church and state paternalism be abolished and people be given the freedom to use their own intellect. Kant praised Frederick II of Prussia for creating these preconditions. Kant focused on religious issues, saying that «our rulers» had less interest in telling citizens what to think in regard to artistic and scientific issues.
Adorno’s and Horkheimer’s definition of «enlightenment»
Dialectic of Enlightenment
In the Dialectic of Enlightenment, co-authored with Max Horkheimer, Adorno critically examined the notions of modernity, rationality, and the Enlightenment by extending his criticism to modern civilization rooted in antiquity. The work was the major philosophical treatise of the Frankfurt School. In it, Adorno argued that the ultimate cause of alienation did not lie in the contradiction within capitalist forms of economy or the anti-enlightenment myth of totalitarianism, but that the ultimate cause of alienation lay in the idea of the Enlightenment itself.
He asserted that the ideal of the Enlightenment was to liberate human beings from the bondage and dominion of magic, myth, and other irrational forces that caused fear and terror in people. In other words, to be enlightened meant the liberation from these irrational factors of domination. Rationality, in contrast to irrational myths and notions of magic, was thought to be the key element in order to gain control of irrational factors, stimulate progress, and rationalize civilization.
Modern civilization was thus built as a result of the pursuit of the ideal of the Enlightenment. Modern western civilization, however, which was supposed to be the manifestation of such rationality, gave birth to barbarous acts of terror, such as Nazism and the mass murders committed by Stalin. Adorno, as well as other intellectuals, wondered how such barbarous states could arise within the context of modernity built upon the ideals of the Enlightenment.
Adono did not see these totalitarian acts of terror as being inconsistent with the Enlightenment, and as a regression to rationality based on myth and magic. He argued that these irrational elements existed within the ideas of the Enlightenment itself.
Concept of Enlightenment
The Enlightenment generally meant the idea of progress in the eighteenth century, with which the bourgeoisie liberated themselves from the constraints of medieval feudalism. Adorno, borrowing the ideas of Max Weber, redefined the idea of the Enlightenment as the liberation of the world from myths, and extended it as a universal principle that guided the development of human civilization.
Destiny of Enlightenment
Adorno argued that the essence of the Enlightenment was humanity’s desire to dominate nature. He identified that in this process, instrumental rationality established man as the subject of dominion and transformed nature into the mere object of domination. But, the Enlightenment (domination of nature) resulted in the domination of the natural element that exists within the self in the form of morality. This consequently gave birth to society as the “second nature,” and brought about the subjugation of man by others, and finally led man to be subjugated by the society that was established.
Adorno further argued that the Enlightenment had inherent barbarous elements within it, and illustrated this point using the Greek myth, The Odyssey. For Adorno, the Enlightenment had an element that led to its self-destruction, and consequently brought about the madness of Nazism and Stalinism.
The work, which was written with a pessimistic tone, was, in a sense, a self criticism of reason and of critical theory. After this work, Horkheimer kept silent and Adorno found a trace of hope in the arts. Adorno later reflected on the philosophic methodology of his critical cultural theory and presented it in the Negative Dialectic.
Notes
- ↑ Douglas Harper, Enlightenment, Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved October 29, 2007.
- ↑ Richard F. Gombrich and Munshiram Manoharlal, How Buddhism Began (1997), p. 67.
- ↑ Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, An Introduction to Zen Buddhism (Rider & Co., 1948).
- ↑ Wong Kiew Kit, Complete Book of Zen.
References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Gay, Peter. Age of Enlightenment. New York: Time, 1966.
- Gombrich, Richard F. How Buddhism Began The Conditioned Genesis of the Early Teachings. London: Athlone Press, 1996. ISBN 0485174170
- Kors, Alan C. Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN 978-0195104301
- Suzuki, Daisetz T. An Introduction to Zen Buddhism. New York: Grove Press, 1954. ISBN 0802130550
- Wong, Kiew K. The Complete Book of Zen. Shaftesbury, Dorset [England]: Element, 1998. ISBN 1862042551
External links
All links retrieved August 23, 2017.
- The Age of Enlightenment, History World International.
- enlightenment
-
1. просвещение; просвещенность;
2. Enlightenment философия и социальная теория просветителей ХVIII века (Монтескьё, Гельвеций, Вольтер и др.), утверждавшая доминирующую роль разума, необходимость преодоления всех форм несвободы;
3. образовательно-воспитательная система.
* * *
сущ.
1) просвещение; просвещенность;
2) (E.) — философия и социальная теория просветителей ХVIII века (Монтескьё, Гельвеций, Вольтер и др.), утверждавшая доминирующую роль разума, необходимость преодоления всех форм несвободы;
3) образовательно-воспитательная система.
Англо-русский словарь по социологии.
2011.
Смотреть что такое «enlightenment» в других словарях:
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Enlightenment — may refer to:pirituality and religion* Enlightenment (concept), religious or intellectual * Mysticism, pursuit of communion with an ultimate reality History*Age of Enlightenment, period in Western history and its corresponding movement *Scottish… … Wikipedia
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Enlightenment — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Enlightenment … Wikipedia Español
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Enlightenment — Bildschirmfoto von Enlightenment 0.16 … Deutsch Wikipedia
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Enlightenment — Enlightenment … Википедия
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ENLIGHTENMENT — ENLIGHTENME Si l’Enlightenment peut être distingué assez aisément de la «philosophie des Lumières» française, cela se voit, dès l’abord, en ce que l’Enlightenment ne se préoccupe pas de lutter contre l’Église; de même, l’Aufklärung, à l’origine,… … Encyclopédie Universelle
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enlightenment — 1660s, action of enlightening, from ENLIGHTEN (Cf. enlighten) + MENT (Cf. ment). Only ever used in figurative sense, of spiritual enlightenment, etc. Attested from 1865 as a translation of Ger. Aufklärung, a name for the spirit and system of… … Etymology dictionary
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Enlightenment — the Enlightenment a period in the eighteenth century when many writers and scientists believed that science and knowledge, not religion, could improve people s lives … Dictionary of contemporary English
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enlightenment — ► NOUN 1) the action of enlightening or the state of being enlightened. 2) (the Enlightenment) a European intellectual movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition … English terms dictionary
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enlightenment — [en līt′ nmənt, in līt′ nmənt] n. an enlightening or being enlightened the Enlightenment 1. a mainly 18th cent. European philosophical movement characterized by a reliance on reason and experience rather than dogma and tradition and by an… … English World dictionary
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Enlightenment — En*light en*ment, n. 1. Act of enlightening, or the state of being enlightened or instructed. [1913 Webster] 2. same as {Aufkl[ A]rung}. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
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enlightenment — I noun appreciation, awakening, clarification, cognition, cognizance, comprehension, direction, disabusal, disclosure, edification, education, elucidation, enucleation, experience explication, explanation, familiarity, illumination, insight,… … Law dictionary
2
capitalized
: a philosophical movement of the 18th century marked by a rejection of traditional social, religious, and political ideas and an emphasis on rationalism
—used with the
3
Buddhism
: a final blessed state marked by the absence of desire or suffering
Example Sentences
the search for spiritual enlightenment
His comments failed to provide enlightenment.
the enlightenment of the public through education
Recent Examples on the Web
Many texts still trade on a kind of Smiles-ish individualism; after all, readers are primarily seeking their own enlightenment.
—
Eleanor Cummins, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2023
Legend has it that Siddhartha Gautama renounced his worldly lifestyle as empty of meaning, sought enlightenment and ultimately awakened to become the Buddha.
—Gregory Grieve, The Conversation, 19 May 2022
Though difficult to define, transcendentalist philosophy promotes a direct relation with nature for spiritual enlightenment rather than the central authority of organized religion.
—Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Dec. 2021
Technology has brought enormous wealth and enlightenment to humankind.
—Niklas Adalberth, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2023
The major event invited debate and input from a variety of voices; these included intellectuals versed in Western enlightenment as well as those from Islamist backgrounds.
—Armani Syed, Time, 22 Nov. 2022
According to enlightenment historian Thomas Broman, electrification — the process of charging something with electricity — was already a fad in Europe, particularly in 18th century salons, a prominent gathering place for intellectuals at the time.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2022
At a European level, there is a need to listen to people and build their needs into the practical workings of European liberal democracy, rather than framing theoretical posturing on enlightenment.
—Mike O’sullivan, Forbes, 25 June 2022
Two different ficus specimens, one in India and one in Sri Lanka, purport to be the bodhi tree under which the Buddha achieved enlightenment.
—Timothy Farrington, WSJ, 2 Dec. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘enlightenment.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1621, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of enlightenment was
in 1621
Dictionary Entries Near enlightenment
Cite this Entry
“Enlightenment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enlightenment. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to:
Age of Enlightenment[edit]
- Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture):
- England: Midlands Enlightenment, period in 18th-century England
- Greece: Modern Greek Enlightenment, an 18th-century national revival and educational movement in Greece
- Italy: Italian Enlightenment, period in 18th-century Italy
- Jewish: Haskalah, Jewish Enlightenment, movement among European Jews in the late 18th century
- Poland: Enlightenment in Poland, ideas of the Age of Enlightenment in Poland
- Russia: Russian Enlightenment, 18th-century period of active government encouragement of proliferation of arts and sciences in Russia
- Scotland: Scottish Enlightenment, period in 18th-century Scotland
- Spain: Enlightenment in Spain, came to Spain with a new dynasty, the Bourbons, subsequent reform and ‘enlightened despotism’
- USA: American Enlightenment, intellectual culture of the British North American colonies and the early United States
Computing[edit]
- Enlightenment (software), an X Window System window manager
- Enlighten (radiosity engine), code to do real-time calculation of indirect lighting («radiosity») in video
- Enlightenment Foundation Libraries, a set of graphics libraries
Culture[edit]
Overview[edit]
- Enlightenment in Buddhism, translation of the term bodhi «awakening»
- Enlightenment (spiritual), insight or awakening to the true nature of reality
- Ionian Enlightenment, the origin of ancient Greek advances in philosophy and science
Events[edit]
- Enlighten Canberra, an annual arts and cultural festival in Canberra, Australia
- «Enlightenment», the main artistic performance in the 2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony
Film and television[edit]
- Enlightenment (Doctor Who), a 1983 Doctor Who serial
Music[edit]
- Enlightenment (Van Morrison album), 1990
- Enlightenment (McCoy Tyner album), 1973
- «Enlightenment» (Van Morrison song), 1990
- Enlightenment (soundtrack album), the soundtrack of the 2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony
Other uses[edit]
- Enlightenment Intensive, a group retreat designed to enable a spiritual enlightenment
- Enlightenment Movement (Afghanistan), a Hazara grassroots civil disobedience group created in Afghanistan in 2016
- Project Enlightenment, an educational program
See also[edit]
- Counter-Enlightenment, a term used by some 20th century commentators to describe contemporary reasoned opposition to the Age of Enlightenment
- Dark Enlightenment, an anti-democratic and reactionary movement that broadly rejects egalitarianism and Whig historiography
- All pages with titles beginning with Enlighten
- Enlightened (disambiguation)
Other forms: enlightenments
Enlightenment is education or awareness that brings change, such as your enlightenment about nutrition that leads you to throw out every last bit of your family’s junk food.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, enlightenment is also sometimes called «awakening» — after all, the name «Buddha» means «the awakened one.» Not all enlightenments are spiritual: your enlightenment about environmental issues, for example, can awaken you to new ways of conserving resources like water and electricity. The Enlightenment started in the 1700s, a historical era defined by a focus on reason and science.
Definitions of enlightenment
-
noun
education that results in understanding and the spread of knowledge
-
noun
(Hinduism and Buddhism) the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation; characterized by the extinction of desire and suffering and individual consciousness
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Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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enlightenment
/ɪnˈlaɪtn̩mənt/
noun
Britannica Dictionary definition of ENLIGHTENMENT
[noncount]
1
:
the state of having knowledge or understanding
-
the search for spiritual enlightenment
-
His comments failed to provide enlightenment.
:
the act of giving someone knowledge or understanding
-
the enlightenment of the public through education
2
the Enlightenment
:
a movement of the 18th century that stressed the belief that science and logic give people more knowledge and understanding than tradition and religion
3
Buddhism
:
a final spiritual state marked by the absence of desire or suffering
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- Enlightment (rare)
Proper noun[edit]
the Enlightenment
- A 17th- and 18th-century philosophical movement in European history; the Age of Enlightenment or Age of Reason emphasizing rationalism.
- Synonyms: age of reason, Aufklärung
- 1997, Chris Horrocks, Introducing Foucault, page 36 (Totem Books, Icon Books; →ISBN
- He first presented a complementary thesis on the Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), in which he used the term “archaeology” for the first time, and which indicated the period of history to which he was constantly to return.
The Enlightenment: the intellectual, philosophical, cultural and scientific spirit of the 18th century. A belief in reason, progress, man’s “maturity” and a general rejection of tradition, religion and authority.
- He first presented a complementary thesis on the Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), in which he used the term “archaeology” for the first time, and which indicated the period of history to which he was constantly to return.
Derived terms[edit]
- Age of Enlightenment
- post-Enlightenment
Translations[edit]
17th- and 18th-century philosophical movement
- Arabic: عَصْر اَلتَّنْوِير m (ʕaṣr at-tanwīr)
- Armenian: Լուսավորություն (Lusavorutʿyun), Լուսավորականություն (Lusavorakanutʿyun)
- Belarusian: Асве́тніцтва n (Asvjétnictva)
- Catalan: Il·lustració (ca) f
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 啟蒙時代／启蒙时代 (Qǐméng shídài)
- Czech: osvícenství (cs) n
- Dutch: verlichting (nl) f
- Estonian: valgustusajastu
- Finnish: valistusaika (fi)
- French: les Lumières (fr) f pl
- Georgian: განმანათლებლობა (ganmanatlebloba)
- German: Aufklärung (de) f
- Greek: Διαφωτισμός (el) m (Diafotismós)
- Hungarian: felvilágosodás (hu)
- Irish: Eagnaíocht f
- Italian: illuminismo (it) m
- Japanese: 啓蒙時代 (けいもうじだい, keimō jidai)
- Korean: 계몽주의(啓蒙主義) (gyemongjuui)
- Polish: Oświecenie n
- Portuguese: Iluminismo m
- Russian: Просвеще́ние n (Prosveščénije)
- Spanish: Ilustración (es) f, Iluminismo m, el Siglo de las Luces m
- Swedish: Upplysningen
- Thai: ยุคเรืองปัญญา, ยุคสว่าง
- Turkish: Aydınlanma
- Ukrainian: Просві́тництво n (Prosvítnyctvo)
Further reading[edit]
Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
en·light·en·ment
(ĕn-līt′n-mənt)
n.
1.
a. The act or a means of enlightening.
b. The state of being enlightened.
2. Enlightenment A philosophical movement of the 1700s that emphasized the use of reason to scrutinize previously accepted doctrines and traditions and that brought about many humanitarian reforms. Used with the.
3. Buddhism & Hinduism A state in which the individual transcends desire and suffering and attains nirvana.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
enlightenment
(ɪnˈlaɪtənmənt)
n
1. the act or means of enlightening or the state of being enlightened
2. (Hinduism) Buddhism the awakening to ultimate truth by which man is freed from the endless cycle of personal reincarnations to which all men are otherwise subject
3. (Hinduism) Hinduism a state of transcendent divine experience represented by Vishnu: regarded as a goal of all religion
Enlightenment
(ɪnˈlaɪtənmənt)
n
(Philosophy) the Enlightenment an 18th-century philosophical movement stressing the importance of reason and the critical reappraisal of existing ideas and social institutions
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
en•light•en•ment
(ɛnˈlaɪt n mənt)
n.
1. the act of enlightening.
2. the state of being enlightened.
3. (usu. cap.) Buddhism, Hinduism. prajna.
4. the Enlightenment, a European philosophical movement of the l7th and 18th centuries, characterized by belief in the power of reason and by innovations in political, religious, and educational doctrine.
[1660–70]
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  enlightenment — education that results in understanding and the spread of knowledge
education — knowledge acquired by learning and instruction; «it was clear that he had a very broad education» satori — (Zen Buddhism) a state of sudden spiritual enlightenment |
| 2. |  enlightenment — (Hinduism and Buddhism) the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation; characterized by the extinction of desire and suffering and individual consciousness
Hindooism, Hinduism — a body of religious and philosophical beliefs and cultural practices native to India and based on a caste system; it is characterized by a belief in reincarnation, by a belief in a supreme being of many forms and natures, by the view that opposing theories are aspects of one eternal truth, and by a desire for liberation from earthly evils Buddhism — the teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth |
|
| 3. |  Enlightenment — a movement in Europe from about 1650 until 1800 that advocated the use of reason and individualism instead of tradition and established doctrine; «the Enlightenment brought about many humanitarian reforms»
reform movement — a movement intended to bring about social and humanitarian reforms |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
enlightenment
noun understanding, information, learning, education, teaching, knowledge, instruction, awareness, wisdom, insight, literacy, sophistication, comprehension, cultivation, refinement, open-mindedness, edification, broad-mindedness He’d set off for the East in search of spiritual enlightenment.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
enlightenment
noun
The condition of being informed spiritually:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تَنْوير، إسْتِنارَه
osvícení
indsigtoplysningvisdom
valaistuminenvalistus
felvilágosodásmegvilágosodás
upplÿsing, fræîsla
osveta
razsvetljenstvo
aydınlatma
enlightenment
[ɪnˈlaɪtnmənt] N
1. (= clarification) we need some enlightenment on this point → necesitamos una aclaración sobre este punto
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
enlightenment
[ɪnˈlaɪtənmənt] n
(RELIGION) (in Buddhism) → illumination f
to attain enlightenment → atteindre l’illumination
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
enlightenment
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
enlightenment
[ɪnˈlaɪtnmənt] n (explanations) → chiarimenti mpl
the (Age of) Enlightenment (History) → l’Illuminismo
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
enlighten
(inˈlaitn) verb
to give more information to (a person). Will someone please enlighten me as to what is happening?
enˈlightened adjective
wise through knowledge; free from prejudice. an enlightened headmaster; an enlightened decision.
enˈlightenment noun
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
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[ en-lahyt-n-muhnt ]
/ ɛnˈlaɪt n mənt /
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
noun
the state of being enlightened: to live in spiritual enlightenment.
(usually initial capital letter)Buddhism, Hinduism. prajna.
the Enlightenment, a philosophical movement of the 18th century, characterized by belief in the power of human reason and by innovations in political, religious, and educational doctrine.
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OTHER WORDS FROM enlightenment
pre·en·light·en·ment, nounre·en·light·en·ment, noun
Words nearby enlightenment
enlarge, enlargement, enlarger, enlighten, enlightened, enlightenment, Enlil, enlist, enlisted man, enlisted woman, enlistee
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to enlightenment
awareness, civilization, insight, literacy, sophistication, understanding, wisdom, broad-mindedness, comprehension, cultivation, culture, edification, education, information, instruction, knowledge, learning, refinement, teaching, bodhi
How to use enlightenment in a sentence
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It’s also a shift that’s happening all over the tech landscape as companies — perhaps goaded by newfound enlightenment or, more likely, the prospect of government intervention — are being more assertive about what happens on their platforms.
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Similarly, early Americans had faith that a newly expanded print media would spread enlightenment.
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His eventual enlightenment, however, is said to have involved recognition that all things are temporary, ever-changing, and impermanent.
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A pandemic lockdown is not a sabbatical to finish your novel, or a monastic retreat to find enlightenment, or a visit to the spa so you can retool your diet and get into shape.
As stay-at-home restrictions rise, here are ways to cope|Washington Post Staff, Elizabeth Chang, Mari-Jane Williams, Becky Krystal, Kendra Nichols, Caitlin Moore, Stephanie Merry, Missy Rosenberg, Katherine Lee|December 2, 2020|Washington Post
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I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism.
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In my search for answers about who I was, I pored over religious texts in search of enlightenment.
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Two and a half millennia ago, Siddhartha Gautama sought enlightenment.
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Everything in life, from governance to harvest to warfare, was suffused with sacred meaning until the advent of the Enlightenment.
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I later read that to be fit for enlightenment, man must be fearless.
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When he emerged from the Zen monastery on Mount Baldy, his enlightenment was followed with an all too worldly disaster.
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Further enlightenment (as with men) comes through grace as soon as they become beati through turning to good.
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He did talk the matter over with Deacon Pettybone, but got little enlightenment for his pains.
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Flashes of recollection, enlightenment, and dismay succeeded one another in Roly’s face.
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The less enlightenment and reason men possess, the more zeal they exhibit for their religion.
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We naturally look to our colleges for the evidences of learning, of enlightenment and culture.
British Dictionary definitions for enlightenment (1 of 2)
noun
the act or means of enlightening or the state of being enlightened
Buddhism the awakening to ultimate truth by which man is freed from the endless cycle of personal reincarnations to which all men are otherwise subject
Hinduism a state of transcendent divine experience represented by Vishnu: regarded as a goal of all religion
British Dictionary definitions for enlightenment (2 of 2)
noun
the Enlightenment an 18th-century philosophical movement stressing the importance of reason and the critical reappraisal of existing ideas and social institutions
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for enlightenment
An intellectual movement of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries marked by a celebration of the powers of human reason, a keen interest in science, the promotion of religious toleration, and a desire to construct governments free of tyranny. Some of the major figures of the Enlightenment were David Hume, Immanuel Kant, John Locke, the Baron de Montesquieu, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.