illumination

Light provided in a place, or the act of providing it.

• The lamp provides soft illumination.
• We need better illumination in this room.
• Candles were the only source of illumination.

Similar words: lighting, light

Opposites: darkness

Common phrases: soft illumination, natural illumination, provide illumination

Decoration of buildings or streets with lights for a celebration.

• The festival includes illumination of the palace.
• We went to see the Christmas illuminations.
• Colored bulbs were used for the festive illumination of the square.

Similar words: decorative lighting

Common phrases: festive illumination, christmas illumination, street illumination

Something that helps you understand more clearly or gives you new ideas.

• Her words brought a moment of illumination.
• He found intellectual illumination in those essays.
• The poet sought spiritual illumination through silence.

Similar words: enlightenment, insight, inspiration

Common phrases: intellectual illumination, spiritual illumination, moment of illumination

Decoration of handwritten books with colorful pictures, fancy letters, and sometimes gold.

• The manuscript has beautiful illumination.
• She studies medieval book illumination.
• Gold leaf was often used in the illumination of religious texts.

Common phrases: manuscript illumination, medieval illumination, art of illumination