il·lu·mi·nate (ĭ-lōō'mə-nāt') v.
il·lu·mi·nat·ed, il·lu·mi·nat·ing, il·lu·mi·nates
v.
tr.
To provide or brighten with light.
To decorate or hang with lights.
To make understandable; clarify: "Cleverly made attacks can . . . serve to illuminate important differences between candidates"(New Republic).
To enlighten intellectually or spiritually; enable to understand.
To endow with fame or splendor; celebrate.
To adorn (a page of a book, for example) with ornamental designs, miniatures, or lettering in brilliant colors or precious metals.
To expose to or reveal by radiation.
v.
intr.
To become lighted; glow.
To provide intellectual or spiritual enlightenment and understanding: "Once you decide to titillate instead of illuminate, you're on a slippery slope"(Bill Moyers).
To be exposed to or revealed by radiation.
n.
(-nĭt) One who has or professes to have an unusual degree of enlightenment.
[Middle English illuminaten, from Latin illūmināre, illūmināt- : in-, in; see in-2 + lūmināre, to light up (from lūmen, lūmin-, light; see leuk- in Indo-European roots).] il·lu'mi·nat'ing·ly adv.
[v. i-loo-muh-neyt; adj., n. i-loo-muh-nit, -neyt] 
verb, -nat⋅ed, -nat⋅ing, adjective, noun 
məˌneɪt