enlightenment
US /ɪnˈlaɪ.t̬ən.mənt/
UK /ɪnˈlaɪ.t̬ən.mənt/
1.
the state of having a deeper understanding of something
:
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Reading widely can lead to intellectual enlightenment.
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The monk sought spiritual enlightenment through meditation.
2.
a European intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition
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The Age of Enlightenment brought significant changes to philosophy and politics.
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Thinkers of the Enlightenment challenged traditional authority.