illuminate

illuminate · verb¹

1. Latin · borrowed fromillūminātus
2. Middle English · inherited fromilluminaten
3. English todayilluminate

From Middle English illuminaten, borrowed from Latin illūminātus, perfect passive participle of illūminō (“lighten, light up, show off”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more), from in + lūminō (“light up”), from lūmen (“light”). Cognate with Old English lȳman (“to glow, shine”). More at leam.

illuminate · adjective²

1. Latin · borrowed fromillūminātus
2. English todayilluminate

From Latin illūminātus, see Etymology 1 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more. For sense 3, see also Lumières.

illuminate · noun³

From a substantivation of the above adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) for more.

Words from the same roots