Word.ws English Dictionary

light on the hill

light on the hill noun: used to evoke the values of the Australian Labor Party.

Noun

light on the hill

  1. (Australia, figuratively) Used to evoke the values of the Australian Labor Party.
    • We have a great objective—the light on the hill—which we aim to reach by working for the betterment of mankind not only here but anywhere we may give a helping hand.1949 June 12, Ben Chifley, speech, 2009, Pamela Robson (editor), The Light on the Hill, Great Australian Speeches, unnumbered page
    • The traditional ethic of the fair go was resurrected, the light on the hill reignited, and the government promised that those currently unemployed would not be left to stagnate.2002, Francis Gordon Clarke, The History of Australia, page 186

Origin of light on the hill

Used by Ben Chifley and since adopted as a catchphrase by members of the ALP.

Questions about light on the hill

What does light on the hill mean?
Light on the hill means used to evoke the values of the Australian Labor Party.
What part of speech is light on the hill?
Light on the hill is a noun.

Words near light on the hill in the dictionary

  1. light of one's life
  2. light off
  3. light oil
  4. light on
  5. light on one's feet
  6. light on the hill
  7. light one's hair on fire
  8. light opera
  9. light operas
  10. light orange
  11. light organ

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: light on the hill (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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