enlightened

ADJECTIVE

well-informed, tolerant of alternative views

Synonyms

STRONGEST

civilized knowledgeable literate open-minded reasonable sophisticated tolerant well-informed

STRONG

cultivated instructed learned liberal refined savvy sharp

WEAK

aware broad-minded forward-thinking hip to in the picture knowing what's what plugged in tuned-in wised up

Antonyms

STRONG

ignorant stupid

WEAK

confounded confused in the dark misled perplexed uneducated unenlightened uninformed

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Many of the problems we face are self-inflicted, and they are fixable with proper allocation of resources, and enlightened and accountable leadership.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

Yes, the founders, for men of their era, were enlightened.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

All the enlightened reformers in Europe were desperately trying to eliminate the peasant peculiarities and plebeian dialects that divided the peoples of their nations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

For a time, Byerley belonged to a social-media movement that has given antidepressants a makeover—from a stigmatized medicine to a healthy lifestyle accessory for enlightened and empowered young women.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 19, 2025

As he traced the prison’s history, he saw progress, the “puritanical” practice of the nineteenth century evolving into the “more enlightened social thought” of the twentieth.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Vocabulary lists containing enlightened

Matilda

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The Monroe Doctrine (1823)

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The Enlightenment

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