illustration
Americannoun
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something that illustrates, as a picture in a book or magazine.
-
a comparison or an example intended for explanation or corroboration.
- Synonyms:
- explication
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the act or process of illuminating.
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the act of clarifying or explaining; elucidation.
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Archaic. illustriousness; distinction.
noun
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pictorial matter used to explain or decorate a text
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an example or demonstration
an illustration of his ability
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the act of illustrating or the state of being illustrated
Synonym Usage
See case 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonillustrationnoun
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overillustrationnoun
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preillustrationnoun
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reillustrationnoun
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superillustrationnoun
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illustrationaladjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of illustration
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin illustrātiōn- (stem of illustrātiō ) “the act of making vivid, illustrating”; see illustrate, -ion
Explanation
When the written instructions get tough, look for an illustration — a picture — to figure out what to do. Assembling furniture? Numbered diagrams and other illustrations can help you avoid the dreaded pile of "leftover" pieces. An illustration can also be a helpful example that isn't visual at all. A coworker who comes to work with a terrible cold and gives it to the whole office is an illustration of what happens when a boss discourages the use of sick days. You hope that the boss isn't an illustration of management at that company! If so, maybe these workers do need a visual: an illustration that shows hand-washing techniques and other ways to avoid germs.
Vocabulary lists containing illustration
Vocabulary of the Common Core
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Florida EOC Biology 1
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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:
An illustration of the three responses from the bacteria when the nanoplastics come into contact with the biofilm.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
That’s why he chose an illustration for the cover of his 2024 debut album “Incómodo,” rather than a real-life image of himself; the LP title directly translates to “discomfort.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
A good illustration is what happened leading up to the top of the internet bubble in March 2000.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
As Supreme Court justices prepare their ruling, Americans got a vivid illustration of the policy at work in the form of star US striker Folarin Balogun, who scored twice in the 4-1 rout over Paraguay.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Gilbert copied from Digges his illustration of an unbounded universe.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Postcards were introduced to Britain in 1870 and initially did not have illustrations as they were intended to be a quick and informal mode of communication, according to the Postal Museum.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
One of the most famous illustrations of quantum mechanics came in 1935, when Erwin Schrödinger proposed his cat paradox.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
Haberman and Swan argue those episodes are not simply colorful anecdotes but illustrations of a presidency increasingly shaped by personal loyalty, image management and a shrinking inner circle.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
By Miry Whitehill, Jennifer Jackson with illustrations by Nomar Perez Sourcebooks Explore: $18 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Nestled among colorful illustrations of colonial life was a succinct explanation of Tisquantum's role: A friendly Indian named Squanto helped the colonists.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
