"see the light" meaning in English

See see the light in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-see the light.ogg Forms: sees the light [present, singular, third-person], seeing the light [participle, present], saw the light [past], seen the light [participle, past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|see<,,saw,seen> the light}} see the light (third-person singular simple present sees the light, present participle seeing the light, simple past saw the light, past participle seen the light)
  1. (idiomatic, religious) To undergo a spiritual conversion. Tags: idiomatic, intransitive Translations (undergo a spiritual conversion): het licht zien (Dutch), valaistua (Finnish), das Licht erblicken (German), vedere la luce (Italian), ujrzeć światłość [perfective] (Polish)
    Sense id: en-see_the_light-en-verb-VU-6tUaa Disambiguation of 'undergo a spiritual conversion': 97 1 2
  2. (idiomatic) To gain an understanding of something previously not understood, especially in a sudden insight. Tags: idiomatic, intransitive Translations (gain an insight): het licht zien (Dutch), oivaltaa (Finnish), tajuta (Finnish), tulla järkiinsä (Finnish), nähdä päivänvaloa (Finnish), tulla päivänvaloon (Finnish), voir le jour (French), jmdn. geht ein Licht auf (German), das Licht der Welt erblicken (German), zrozumieć [perfective] (Polish), zdać sobie sprawę [perfective] (Polish), wypływać [imperfective] (Polish), wypłynąć [perfective] (Polish), ter uma realização (Portuguese), ter uma inspiração (Portuguese), entender (Portuguese), compreender (Portuguese), sair à luz (Portuguese), vir à luz (Portuguese), vir ao mundo (Portuguese)
    Sense id: en-see_the_light-en-verb-KtszC0OH Disambiguation of 'gain an insight': 3 94 3
  3. (idiomatic) To come into the world or to public notice. Tags: idiomatic, intransitive Synonyms: see the light of day Related terms: dawn on, daylight, the light of day, error of one's ways
    Sense id: en-see_the_light-en-verb-gKIfDW51 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 5 6 89 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 14 15 71 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 15 15 70 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 13 10 77 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 12 12 75 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 12 13 75 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 9 9 82 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 17 15 67 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 15 12 73

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for see the light meaning in English (6.7kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sees the light",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "seeing the light",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "saw the light",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "seen the light",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "see<,,saw,seen> the light"
      },
      "expansion": "see the light (third-person singular simple present sees the light, present participle seeing the light, simple past saw the light, past participle seen the light)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Once I was lost in darkness, but now I have seen the light."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1948, Hank Williams, I Saw the Light, from Randal Myler, Hank Williams, Mark Harelik, Hank Williams: The Music and Legend of Hank Williams, page 59",
          "text": "I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin\nI wouldn't let my Dear Saviour in\nThen Jesus came like a stranger in the night\nPraise the Lord. I saw the light."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To undergo a spiritual conversion."
      ],
      "id": "en-see_the_light-en-verb-VU-6tUaa",
      "links": [
        [
          "spiritual",
          "spiritual"
        ],
        [
          "conversion",
          "conversion"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "religious",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, religious) To undergo a spiritual conversion."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "undergo a spiritual conversion",
          "word": "het licht zien"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "undergo a spiritual conversion",
          "word": "valaistua"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "undergo a spiritual conversion",
          "word": "das Licht erblicken"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "undergo a spiritual conversion",
          "word": "vedere la luce"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 2",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "undergo a spiritual conversion",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "ujrzeć światłość"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Finally, near the end of the meeting, John saw the light and withdrew his objections."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To gain an understanding of something previously not understood, especially in a sudden insight."
      ],
      "id": "en-see_the_light-en-verb-KtszC0OH",
      "links": [
        [
          "understanding",
          "understanding"
        ],
        [
          "sudden",
          "sudden"
        ],
        [
          "insight",
          "insight"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To gain an understanding of something previously not understood, especially in a sudden insight."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "het licht zien"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "oivaltaa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "tajuta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "tulla järkiinsä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "jmdn. geht ein Licht auf"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "zrozumieć"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "zdać sobie sprawę"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "ter uma realização"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "ter uma inspiração"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "entender"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "compreender"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "nähdä päivänvaloa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "tulla päivänvaloon"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "voir le jour"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "das Licht der Welt erblicken"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "wypływać"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "wypłynąć"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "sair à luz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "vir à luz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 94 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "gain an insight",
          "word": "vir ao mundo"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "5 6 89",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 15 71",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Czech translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 15 70",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 10 77",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 12 75",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 13 75",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 9 82",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 15 67",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 12 73",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "His book never saw the light."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To come into the world or to public notice."
      ],
      "id": "en-see_the_light-en-verb-gKIfDW51",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To come into the world or to public notice."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 100",
          "word": "dawn on"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 100",
          "word": "daylight"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 100",
          "word": "the light of day"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 100",
          "word": "error of one's ways"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "see the light of day"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-see the light.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1e/En-au-see_the_light.ogg/En-au-see_the_light.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/En-au-see_the_light.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "see the light"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English intransitive verbs",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs",
    "Requests for review of Czech translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sees the light",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "seeing the light",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "saw the light",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "seen the light",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "see<,,saw,seen> the light"
      },
      "expansion": "see the light (third-person singular simple present sees the light, present participle seeing the light, simple past saw the light, past participle seen the light)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "dawn on"
    },
    {
      "word": "daylight"
    },
    {
      "word": "the light of day"
    },
    {
      "word": "error of one's ways"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Once I was lost in darkness, but now I have seen the light."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1948, Hank Williams, I Saw the Light, from Randal Myler, Hank Williams, Mark Harelik, Hank Williams: The Music and Legend of Hank Williams, page 59",
          "text": "I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin\nI wouldn't let my Dear Saviour in\nThen Jesus came like a stranger in the night\nPraise the Lord. I saw the light."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To undergo a spiritual conversion."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "spiritual",
          "spiritual"
        ],
        [
          "conversion",
          "conversion"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "religious",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, religious) To undergo a spiritual conversion."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Finally, near the end of the meeting, John saw the light and withdrew his objections."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To gain an understanding of something previously not understood, especially in a sudden insight."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "understanding",
          "understanding"
        ],
        [
          "sudden",
          "sudden"
        ],
        [
          "insight",
          "insight"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To gain an understanding of something previously not understood, especially in a sudden insight."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "His book never saw the light."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To come into the world or to public notice."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To come into the world or to public notice."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "see the light of day"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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      "audio": "En-au-see the light.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1e/En-au-see_the_light.ogg/En-au-see_the_light.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/En-au-see_the_light.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "undergo a spiritual conversion",
      "word": "het licht zien"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "undergo a spiritual conversion",
      "word": "valaistua"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "undergo a spiritual conversion",
      "word": "das Licht erblicken"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "undergo a spiritual conversion",
      "word": "vedere la luce"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "undergo a spiritual conversion",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "ujrzeć światłość"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "het licht zien"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "oivaltaa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "tajuta"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "tulla järkiinsä"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "jmdn. geht ein Licht auf"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "zrozumieć"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "zdać sobie sprawę"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "ter uma realização"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "ter uma inspiração"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "entender"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "compreender"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "het licht zien"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "nähdä päivänvaloa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "tulla päivänvaloon"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "voir le jour"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "das Licht der Welt erblicken"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "wypływać"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "wypłynąć"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "sair à luz"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "vir à luz"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "gain an insight",
      "word": "vir ao mundo"
    }
  ],
  "word": "see the light"
}
{
  "called_from": "page/2530",
  "msg": "skipping string in the middle of translations: </table></div></div>\n\n",
  "path": [
    "see the light"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "see the light",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "page/2517",
  "msg": "UNIMPLEMENTED parse_translation_template: trans-top-see {1: 'come into the world or to public notice', 2: 'see the light of day'}",
  "path": [
    "see the light",
    "trans-top-see"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "see the light",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-06-23 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-06-20 using wiktextract (1b9bfc5 and 0136956). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.