1a. The act of illuminating. b. The state of being illuminated. 2. A source of light. 3. Decorative lighting. 4. Spiritual or intellectual enlightenment. 5. Clarification; elucidation. 6a. The art or act of decorating a text, page, or initial letter with ornamental designs, miniatures, or lettering. b. An example of this art. 7.Physics The luminous flux per unit area at any point on a surface exposed to incident light. Also called illuminance.