illustrate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to furnish (a book, magazine, etc.) with drawings, pictures, or other artwork intended for explanation, elucidation, or adornment.
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to make clear or intelligible, as by examples or analogies; exemplify.
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Archaic. to enlighten.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to clarify or explain by use of examples, analogy, etc
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(tr) to be an example or demonstration of
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(tr) to explain or decorate (a book, text, etc) with pictures
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(tr) an archaic word for enlighten
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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illustratornoun
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overillustrateverb (used with object)
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preillustrateverb (used with object)
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reillustrateverb (used with object)
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superillustrateverb (used with object)
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illustratableadjective
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illustrativeadjective
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illustrativelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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illustratesimple
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illustratessimple
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have illustratedperfect
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has illustratedperfect
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am illustratingprogressive
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are illustratingprogressive
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is illustratingprogressive
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have been illustratingperfect progressive
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has been illustratingperfect progressive
Past
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illustratedsimple
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had illustratedperfect
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was illustratingprogressive
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were illustratingprogressive
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had been illustratingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing illustrate
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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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:
"It's a bit like the TV show What's in Your Fridge," says Martin Sahlberg to illustrate the process.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 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
To illustrate the concept, the patent application gives examples of what Meta might record.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Again, this is simply to illustrate the principle.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
We can illustrate it by looking at some examples together; the demonstration will help us gain courage to try the same analysis the next time we enter a museum.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
But as the bathroom example illustrates, those objectives differ in a crucial way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The film also shows Maddox and her father in a vicious argument inside her car that illustrates the fracturing of their once-close bond.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
One person in Washington perfectly illustrates this phenomenon: Sally Quinn, the longtime columnist and doyenne of what remains of the Georgetown set.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
"That does not mean all are under the rubble, but it illustrates the scale of the distress facing families."
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
As this squirm-making instance illustrates all too well, the time to define your terms is in advance, not as part of a rearguard action.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
It lets people collect virtual cards for their catches, with backgrounds illustrated in hand-drawn watercolours by his partner Emily.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The fallout from that decision illustrated the importance the drones have already assumed for climbers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
The recipes are interspersed with stories from Kwon’s childhood in the store and illustrated spreads devoted to ingredients such as seaweed and tofu, explaining their varieties, particular virtues and best uses.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
These odds are illustrated in the chart above.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
The significance of that botanical wealth for humans is illustrated by the geographer Mark Blunder's studies of wild grass distributions.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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
In the finale, the officers team up against the judges, illustrating the power of working together, like our family.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
In Columbus, Ohio, officials pointed to Austin as an example illustrating the city’s own growth challenges so it could “pivot quickly…and make that intervention early,” says Erin Prosser, the city’s deputy director of housing strategies.
From Barron's ● May 31, 2026
The shot of the car hurtling off the cliff is one of cinema’s most enduring images, illustrating unbreakable friendship, victory and freedom.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
“Little Raphael,” as her sisters called her, had a decided talent for drawing, and was never so happy as when copying flowers, designing fairies, or illustrating stories with queer specimens of art.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
