Definition
The energy that makes things visible, or any source of brightness such as the sun or a lamp.
Example
La lumière du soleil entre par la fenêtre chaque matin.
Show translation
The sunlight comes through the window every morning.
Etymology
From Latin *luminaria* (light sources, lamps), derived from *lumen* (light). Entered Old French as *lumiere* in the 12th century. The same root gives English "luminous" and "illuminate," and lends its name to the Lumière brothers, who pioneered cinema in the 1890s.
Cultural note
France is famously called the *Pays de la lumière* in artistic circles, and Paris holds the nickname *Ville Lumière* (City of Light) — both for its early adoption of gas street lamps in the 19th century and its role as a capital of Enlightenment ideas. The word also carries philosophical weight: *les Lumières* (capitalised and plural) refers directly to the French Enlightenment of the 18th century.