illustrator
Americannoun
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illustrators
plural
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an artist who makes illustrations.
an illustrator of children's books.
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a person or thing that illustrates.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of illustrator
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Late Latin, from Latin illustrā(re) “to illuminate, make clear, give glory to” ( see illustrate) + -tor -tor
Explanation
An illustrator is an artist who draws the pictures in a book. Some children's book authors are also illustrators, while others work with an illustrator. Picture books have to be well-written and well-illustrated: it's up to an illustrator to interpret the story through pictures (or illustrations). Illustrators sometimes also draw or paint pictures for comic books, advertisements, magazines, greeting cards, and graphic novels. In the 16th century, an illustrator was "one who enlightens," from a now-obsolete meaning of illustrate, "light up." The Latin root is illustrare, "light up," and also "adorn."
Vocabulary lists containing illustrator
Foundational Reading
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Reading: Literature - Introductory
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Reading: Informational - Introductory
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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:
Mark, an illustrator with millions of followers, revealed a deep sense of dread about what was once his dream: to make a living creating art and sharing it online.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
An illustrator revealed that she had felt like a “crumpled-up ball of paper” for years.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
The 40-year-old illustrator sold the Siren Head movie rights to Warner Bros. recently for more than $1 million, according to people familiar with the matter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
French-Iranian author, director, illustrator and activist Marjane Satrapi, best known for her graphic novel series and film Persepolis, has died aged 56, the Élysée Palace in Paris has confirmed.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
In November he decides to learn the art of lithography, Theo’s suggestion long ago, so that he can become an illustrator.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Lucas said he wanted to highlight the work of illustrators.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
It struck musicians and illustrators, YouTubers and Instagrammers, self-proclaimed anxious wrecks and the freest of spirits.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
The same goes for illustrators, ad copywriters and many other professionals whose intellectual property is effectively being repurposed by AI workers as a new competitor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Abie Longstaff works at the Society of Authors, a union representing writers, illustrators and translators, and tells Newsbeat they have been raising concerns about the risks of AI for years.
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2025
Eventually, the student sorters were joined by six local glass menders, a professional glass conservator, and two illustrators.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
