illuminati

UK: 'illuminati', 'Illuminati': /ɪˌluːmɪˈnɑːtiː/

US: (i lo̅o̅′mə nä′tē, -nā′tī)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

il•lu•mi•na•ti  (i lo̅o̅′mə nä′tē, -nā′tī), n.pl., sing. -to (-tō). 

1. persons possessing, or claiming to possess, superior enlightenment.
2. Religion (cap.) a name given to different religious societies or sects because of their claim to superior enlightenment.

• Latin illūminātī, plural of illūminātus enlightened; see illuminate
• 1590–1600

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

illuminati / ɪˌluːmɪˈnɑːtiː/ noun:plural ( -to / -təʊ/)

1. a group of persons claiming exceptional enlightenment on some subject, esp religion

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin, literally: the enlightened ones, from illūmināre to illuminate

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Illuminati / ɪˌluːmɪˈnɑːtiː/ noun:plural ( -to / -təʊ/)

1. any of several groups of illuminati, esp in 18th-century France