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
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Positive Words to Describe a Person
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The Book Thief
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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.
And the hill to get back on Tour could be even steeper for golfers with less illustrious track records.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
New York Giants: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU — Giants will hold their breath making this pick as they have an illustrious history of drafting busts at corner.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Cate Blanchett is set to play Martha Stewart in an upcoming biopic about the lifestyle mogul’s illustrious career, Variety first reported.
From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026
“Lovingly stewarded by the same family for nearly 70 years, this grand residence has been thoughtfully updated and modernized in preparation for the next chapter in its illustrious history.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
Durham had clasped King to its heart nearly five years before he had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and so residents couldn’t be blamed for assuming a proprietary interest in the reverend’s illustrious career.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
