illuminare

Illuminare is an Italian verb meaning to illuminate, light up, or to enlighten. It covers literal lighting of physical objects and metaphorical lighting of ideas, discussions, or minds. In everyday language, it can describe turning on a lamp, brightening a room, or clarifying a topic.

Etymology: The word comes from Latin illuminare, formed from lumen, light, with a prefix that conveys making or bringing light. It belongs to the first conjugation of Italian verbs ending in -are. The infinitive is illuminare; the past participle is illuminato; the gerund is illuminando.

Usage: Illuminare takes a direct object, concrete (una stanza, una strada) or abstract (una teoria, una domanda). It is used both literally (illuminare una stanza) and figuratively (illuminare una teoria, illuminare la mente). In religious or philosophical contexts it can express spiritual or moral enlightenment or the act of making something clearer or more understood.

Related terms: The noun illuminazione denotes the act or result of lighting or enlightenment; the adjective illuminato means lit or enlightened. In English, the cognate is illuminate; in other Romance languages there are parallel forms such as iluminar or illuminer.