illuminate – 1. to light something and make it bright 2. to help explain
(Pronounced ih-loo-muh-nayt)
To remember the definition of the word illuminate, use the following mnemonic:
The answer eluded him, until he attended a 60 minute lecture with his mate (illuminate). It was like a light had come on and it helped to explain everything.
Examples of illuminate in a sentence (1. to light something up and make it bright)
A single candle wasn't going to illuminate the entire room.
They used huge flood lights to illuminate the film set.
He needed to find a way to illuminate the tomb before he could explore.
Examples of illuminate in a sentence (2. to help explain)
The lecture really illuminated the matter for him.
Her attempt to illuminate the complex equation only made it more confusing.
It was going to take a lot of work to illuminate the complex physics of the situation.