The Illuminati is a name that people use to talk about different secret groups or organizations that are believed to be involved in hidden plans. The name comes from the Bavarian Illuminati, which was started in 1776 by Adam Weishaupt. This group from the Enlightenment period wanted to support ideas like not following religion blindly and thinking logically, which went against the rules set by religious and political leaders. As time passed, the term "Illuminati" started to be linked with many conspiracy theories that claim some secret groups are secretly controlling what happens in the world. Even though there are many interesting stories about them, there isn't any solid proof to back up these claims. Nowadays, the Illuminati is more of a symbol that represents the idea of hidden power, rather than being an actual group that you can find.