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.