enlightened

Enlightened is an adjective describing someone who has achieved enlightenment or possesses a high level of knowledge, wisdom, or spiritual insight. In everyday use it can denote openness to new ideas, moral progress, or superior understanding. The word comes from the verb enlighten, built from en- plus light, with light serving as a metaphor for knowledge or illumination.

In religious contexts, "enlightened" refers to awakening from ignorance. In Buddhism, enlightenment (bodhi) is the attainment of awakening, and an individual who has achieved it is called enlightened, or an awakened one, often equated with a Buddha. Similar ideas appear across Hindu and other contemplative traditions.

In historical and political discourse, "enlightened" has been used to describe reforms or rulers associated with reason and modernization, such as the Enlightenment in Europe (17th–18th centuries) and the notion of enlightened despotism or enlightened absolutism, associated with monarchs who pursued reforms while retaining central authority.

In modern usage, the term can describe people who value science, education, tolerance, and humanitarian principles. It may also be used critically or ironically to question claims of moral or intellectual superiority.

See also: Enlightenment; Enlightenment values; Enlightened despotism; Bodhi.