illuminare
to illuminate
verb eel-loo-mee-NAH-reh Rare
Origin: Latin illuminare
Also means
to light up
Usage Note
Illuminare is used both literally (illuminare una stanza = to light a room) and figuratively (illuminare la mente = to enlighten the mind). It takes avere as its auxiliary. The reflexive illuminarsi means to light up or brighten (il suo viso si illuminò = his face lit up). The noun is illuminazione (illumination, enlightenment).
Examples
"Le candele illuminano la sala da pranzo."
Natural Translation
The candles illuminate the dining room.

Free starter pack
Building your Italian vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore Italian by topic
ItalianNow
5 min read