illustration

American  

[il-uh-strey-shuhn] / ˌɪl əˈstreɪ ʃən /

noun

illustrations plural

1. something that illustrates, as a picture in a book or magazine.

2. a comparison or an example intended for explanation or corroboration.

   Synonyms:

   explication

3. the act or process of illuminating.

4. the act of clarifying or explaining; elucidation.

5. Archaic. illustriousness; distinction.

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illustration British  

/ ˌɪləˈstreɪʃən /

noun

1. pictorial matter used to explain or decorate a text

2. an example or demonstration

   an illustration of his ability

3. the act of illustrating or the state of being illustrated

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Synonym Usage

See case ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonillustration
  noun
• overillustration
  noun
• preillustration
  noun
• reillustration
  noun
• superillustration
  noun
• illustrational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• illustrations
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

illustration illustrations

An illustration of the three responses from the bacteria when the nanoplastics come into contact with the biofilm.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

Or an illustration of Donald Trump, as one past archer aimed for.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

A good illustration is what happened leading up to the top of the internet bubble in March 2000.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

Accompanying the piece was a now-famous illustration of the Disney Flywheel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Ama has her hand pushed outward, with an Adinkra symbol scratched into her palm—an illustration that looks like a flower petal with an open center.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

In Sabina Hahn’s spare, watercolor illustrations, the pickle is a burnished emerald green with round eyes and no mouth—which makes it all the more remarkable when it begins to speak.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

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

Highlights include work by Norman Rockwell and Dorothea Lange, as well as a variety of manga, children’s book illustrations and comics.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 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

“To learn more,” said Audubon, “be sure to read Bird Songs, Warbles, and Whistles written by Dr. Diana Victoria Garcia, with classic illustrations by raoz.”

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• cartoon
• decoration
• depiction
• engraving
• etching
• image
• painting
• photo
• photograph
• picture
• sketch
• snapshot
• vignette