illustrative

[ih-luhs-truh-tiv, il-uh-strey-tiv]

adjective

1. serving to illustrate; explanatory.

   illustrative examples.

Other Word Forms

• illustratively adverb
• nonillustrative adjective
• nonillustratively adverb
• overillustrative adjective
• overillustratively adverb
• self-illustrative adjective
• unillustrative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of illustrative¹

First recorded in 1635–45; illustrate + -ive

Example Sentences

Gong, which helps its clients sell more stuff, is an illustrative example.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The commission concluded that an analysis of the betting data was not "illustrative of a spot-fix" and added it was "in many respects inconsistent with a spot-fix, but consistent with alternative explanations".

Read more on BBC

A recent party attended by almost all of the squad was illustrative of their bond.

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Culture often holds a mirror up to politics and what has been playing out at Glastonbury is illustrative of the wider, heated debate raging across the country about what's taking place in Gaza.

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The primary is the main character print, which is more complex and illustrative.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• descriptive 
• emblematic 
• figurative 
• revealing