To reduce or remove light from; to darken or cause to become less clear or understood.
From dis- (away, remove) + illuminate (from Latin illuminare, 'to light up'). This is the logical opposite of 'illuminate,' suggesting the reversal of enlightenment or clarity.
This is a fascinating word because it works both literally (turning off lights) and metaphorically (making something confusing), yet we almost never use it—we usually just say 'darken' or 'obscure,' which shows how prefix logic in English is sometimes ignored in favor of simpler words.
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