Synonyms

illustrate

American

[il-uh-strayt, ih-luhs-trayt] / ˈɪl əˌstreɪt, ɪˈlʌs treɪt /

verb (used with object)

to furnish (a book, magazine, etc.) with drawings, pictures, or other artwork intended for explanation, elucidation, or adornment.
to make clear or intelligible, as by examples or analogies; exemplify.
Archaic. to enlighten.

verb (used without object)

to clarify one's words, writings, etc., with examples.

To prevent misunderstandings, let me illustrate.

illustrate British

/ ˈɪləˌstreɪt /

verb

to clarify or explain by use of examples, analogy, etc
(tr) to be an example or demonstration of
(tr) to explain or decorate (a book, text, etc) with pictures
(tr) an archaic word for enlighten

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Present

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Etymology

Origin of illustrate

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin illustrātus, past participle of illustrāre “to illuminate, make clear, give glory to”; see il- ¹, luster ¹, -ate ¹

Explanation

To illustrate is to make something more clear or visible. Children's books are illustrated with pictures. An example can illustrate an abstract idea. The word illustrate comes from the Latin illustrare 'to light up or enlighten.' Pictures in a book enlighten the reader, and a good example can enlighten someone on a complex topic. Another use: The government's actions illustrate how out of touch it is with the people. The history of this word illustrates how language changes over time, and how knowing the original meaning can help you understand the word in a deeper way.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

illustrate illustrates illustrated illustrating

To illustrate the embryonic technology’s potential danger, Mr. Bostrom imagines a superintelligent machine that is given the objective of maximizing production of paper clips.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

And here’s where I counter that a movie about how algorithms destroy humanity has to have some credible humans in it, if only to illustrate its own point.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

Here’s what complicates the monster story, and what Hollywood has failed to illustrate in this movie: I also found a young man failed by nearly every system around him.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

The best way to illustrate this equilibrium is with annuity payout rates — how much monthly income you could purchase with a given amount of money.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

All these examples illustrate that wars, or threats of war, have played a key role in most, if not all, amalgamations of societies.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

The decline in the gauge illustrates that the summer of the extreme bull has ended but, as Michael Hartnett’s weekly “Flow Show” notes, asset allocators are not underweight risk.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

In Mogadishu, resident Muqtar Hussein said the situation in South West "illustrates the risks of proceeding with disputed elections without political consensus".

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

The initial burst also illustrates how a relatively small number of high-profile accounts can set the agenda for a much larger audience.

From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026

Nevertheless, it illustrates the remarkable accuracy the researchers have already achieved with an early prototype.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

But the Renee tape is one of his favorites because of how beautifully it illustrates what he considers to be the secret to learning mathematics.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Pipelines neatly illustrated the competing pull of nationalism and economics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

First published in 1926, Milne's story, illustrated by Ernest Howard Shepard, followed the tales of Christopher Robin and his friends, including Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

In Beatles scholar Kevin Howlett’s detailed account of the making of the album, presented here in a tastefully illustrated 88-page hardback book, one of the unsung heroes of the record is Hazel Yarwood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

There’s a method to all this madness, and it’s best illustrated by the fact that Vance is the one leading the charge.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

Merger under the threat of external force is well illustrated by the formation of the Cherokee Indian confederation in the U.S.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Instinct is rapidly amassing investment dollars, illustrating the rush of excitement around personal AI assistants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

However, City have also achieved around £300m worth of player sales this summer, illustrating the vast turnover at the start of the post-Guardiola era.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

In recent years, Unite Here Local 11 has filed numerous complaints over the Inglewood facility, claiming various wage and health issues, illustrating a bitter battle over movement at the bargaining table.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

That’s more than 3% of the country’s adult population, illustrating the feverish extent of stock market speculation and the danger of leverage.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

I can tease out this 'secret’ natural relationship between a note and its higher self by illustrating the magic of musical pitch.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023