Illuminati
/ɪˌluːmɪˈnɑːti/noun
A plural term for people who are enlightened or, historically, members of the Bavarian secret society founded in 1776.
Did you know?Illuminati is the plural of Latin illuminatus, and the famous Bavarian Illuminati borrowed a word with a long religious history of spiritual illumination before it became a symbol of secrecy and conspiracy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leuk-
“to shine, be bright”
Latin
Latin
lūmen
“light”
Latin
Latin
illūmināre
“to light up, illuminate”
Late Latin
Latin
illūminātus
“enlightened, lit up”
Italian
Italian
illuminati
“the enlightened ones”
18th Century
German
Illuminaten
“members of a secret society founded in Bavaria”
Modern English
English
Illuminati
“a secretive or supposedly powerful hidden group”
Explore more surprising origins