illustrious
Americanadjective
-
highly distinguished; renowned; famous.
an illustrious leader.
- Synonyms:
- famed, eminent, celebrated
-
glorious, as deeds or works.
many illustrious achievements.
-
Obsolete. luminous; bright.
adjective
-
of great renown; famous and distinguished
-
glorious or great
illustrious deeds
-
obsolete shining
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of illustrious
1560–70; < Latin illustri ( s ) bright, clear, famous (equivalent to illustr ( āre ) to brighten ( see il- 1, luster 1) + -is adj. suffix) + -ous
Explanation
Something that's illustrious is well known or famous, leaving a trail of glory in its wake. An illustrious career, for example, is full of impressive achievements and celebrated contributions to society. Coming from the Latin illustris, meaning “bright, distinguished, famous,” illustrious is a powerful adjective. It's similar to luster, which is a brilliant shine — so imagine that something illustrious is as wonderful as a sparkling diamond. Use this word to describe the career or reputation of someone really successful, like a bestselling author or business mogul.
Vocabulary lists containing illustrious
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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.
Simon Parkes, 18, was last seen in 1986 when he left the docked HMS Illustrious in Gibraltar and never came back.
From BBC • Jan. 20, 2024
The Illustrious College of Lawyers of Madrid urged reforms of historic laws that require them to be on call 365 days of the year, regardless of the death of family members or medical emergencies.
From Washington Times • May 1, 2023
The recent 2021 River to River Festival, in association with Movement Research, presented three processions, led by Miguel Gutierrez, Okwui Okpokwasili and the Illustrious Blacks.
From New York Times • Jul. 8, 2021
The Illustrious Blacks, whose show “Hyperbolic!” was part of “Under the Radar,” the Public Theatre’s annual emporium of the avant-garde.
From The New Yorker • Dec. 15, 2019
How different do the Illustrious One’s doctrines sound!
From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
