Modern definitions (that generally disregard history) …excluding politically incorrect concepts and other meanings deemed offensive today; may list only pigeonholed definitions, euphemisms, or meaningless mnemonics)
Chinese: bright; opposite: dark 暗; (of meaning) clear; to understand; next; public or open; wise; generic term for a sacrifice to the gods; Ming Dynasty (1368-1644); Ming (c. 2000 BC), fourth of the legendary Flame Emperors, 炎帝 descended from Shennong 神農|神农 Farmer God
Japanese: clearly, brightly, cleanly, purely, vidya, mantra, the coming, Ming, brightness, clarity, acumen, power of vision, colourful, cheerful, familiar, knowledgeable, fair, fresh, space, room, emptiness, gap, opening, vacancy, empty seat, free time, time to spare, disuse, unused thing, to open, to be empty, to be vacant, to be available, to be free, to be open, to have been opened, to come to an end, to have a hole, to form a gap, to have an interval, dawn, daybreak, soon after something has ended, beginning, light, illumination, glow, gleam, lamp, to become bright, to become clear, brightly lit, brightly lighted, lit up, lighted up, to pass, to spend, to reveal, to divulge, useless, no good, hopeless, next, following, to unwrap, to unlock, to empty, to clear out, to make space, to make room, to dawn, to grow light, to end, obvious, evident, plain, to become luminous at dawn, luminance, cheerfulness, into the light, to brighten, to be refreshed, brilliantly, flaming, to elucidate, to shed light on, to clarify, source of light, skylight, dormer, transom, dormer window, clearness
Unihan extended: bright, light, brilliant; clear
EDRDG: bright; light

Used within names (nanori)
あきら　･　あけ　･　あす　･　きら　･　け　･　さや　･　さやか　･　とし　･　はる　･　み　･　め