Synonyms

illustrate

American

[il-uh-streyt, ih-luhs-treyt] / 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

Other Word Forms

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Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

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

“Another way to illustrate relative performance of the yen is via the EUR/JPY cross, which is well below the 187 level where authorities intervened the last two rounds,” Keshvani adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Both examples illustrate one of the most striking strengths of AI models.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026

To illustrate my point, consider the three occasions over the last decade when I devoted a column to taking issue with a chorus of voices calling for Cook to step down.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026

Prosecutors also called to the stand Burke's former financial manager, Benjamin Greger, to illustrate his financial motive to protect his music career.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

Dingiswayo’s Zulus illustrate that each of those agents contributed somewhat independently to history’s pattern.

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

Still, it illustrates the big opportunities for businesses that are willing to circumvent international sanctions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

His fee, however, illustrates how quickly the equation can change once a teenager proves himself at senior level.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

“This offshore fracking proposal really illustrates the importance of having the state have a say in projects that affect its coastal resources,” said Maggie Hall, deputy chief counsel at the Environmental Defense Center.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

According to the researchers, this recurring pattern illustrates the experimental nature of evolution.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026

The Avianca accident so perfectly illustrates the characteristics of the “modern” plane crash that it is studied in flight schools.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

The tepid showing illustrated how the Warner Bros. studio has fallen since last year when it was riding high at the box office with “Sinners,” and “A Minecraft Movie.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

So we only have a two-year performance record, but those two years have illustrated what investors can expect from this type of strategy during a bull market.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

If you’ve spent even a short while scrolling through YouTube looking for investing content, you’ve seen them—video thumbnails with illustrated flames and maybe a downward pointing arrow warning about the end times.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

This co-operation is illustrated by one of its first cases of Ebola, a nurse who contracted the virus while working in an intensive care unit in Kampala.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

Instead, the weekly illustrated newspapers and magazines published drawings produced by their own artists.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

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

Most of these well-performing vehicles are larger products, illustrating the continued appeal of such vehicles in the United States.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

In the finale, the officers team up against the judges, illustrating the power of working together, like our family.

From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026

Between now and November, we’re bringing you profiles of the political figures reshaping their parties and illustrating the choices Americans confront in the 2026 midterm elections.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

Early on, she settled on heart attacks— events with a known cause and a quick dramatic arc—as a way of illustrating how illness plays out differently in different classes.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

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