according to his lights
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
According to his information or knowledge of the matter; or, according to the capacity he has for forming opinions on it.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “according to his lights” mean?
According to his information or knowledge of the matter; or, according to the capacity he has for forming opinions on it.
Is “according to his lights” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.