illustrate
Americanverb (used with object)
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illustrates,
present (3rd person singular)
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illustrated,
past participle, past
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illustrating
present participle
-
to furnish (a book, magazine, etc.) with drawings, pictures, or other artwork intended for explanation, elucidation, or adornment.
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to make clear or intelligible, as by examples or analogies; exemplify.
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Archaic. to enlighten.
verb (used without object)
-
illustrates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
illustrated,
past participle, past
-
illustrating
present participle
verb
-
to clarify or explain by use of examples, analogy, etc
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(tr) to be an example or demonstration of
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(tr) to explain or decorate (a book, text, etc) with pictures
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(tr) an archaic word for enlighten
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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illustratornoun
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overillustrateverb (used with object)
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preillustrateverb (used with object)
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reillustrateverb (used with object)
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superillustrateverb (used with object)
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illustratableadjective
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illustrativeadjective
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illustrativelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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illustratesimple
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illustratessimple
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have illustratedperfect
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has illustratedperfect
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am illustratingprogressive
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are illustratingprogressive
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is illustratingprogressive
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have been illustratingperfect progressive
-
has been illustratingperfect progressive
Past
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illustratedsimple
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had illustratedperfect
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was illustratingprogressive
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were illustratingprogressive
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had been illustratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of illustrate
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin illustrātus, past participle of illustrāre “to illuminate, make clear, give glory to”; see il- 1, luster 1, -ate 1
Explanation
To illustrate is to make something more clear or visible. Children's books are illustrated with pictures. An example can illustrate an abstract idea. The word illustrate comes from the Latin illustrare 'to light up or enlighten.' Pictures in a book enlighten the reader, and a good example can enlighten someone on a complex topic. Another use: The government's actions illustrate how out of touch it is with the people. The history of this word illustrates how language changes over time, and how knowing the original meaning can help you understand the word in a deeper way.
Vocabulary lists containing illustrate
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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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:
Both examples illustrate one of the most striking strengths of AI models.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
To illustrate that point she brings up a 2021 case in which British doctors missed a child’s life-threatening condition, and her parents’ observations were ignored.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
To illustrate my point, consider the three occasions over the last decade when I devoted a column to taking issue with a chorus of voices calling for Cook to step down.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026
Prosecutors also called to the stand Burke's former financial manager, Benjamin Greger, to illustrate his financial motive to protect his music career.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Most importantly, it would be another example to illustrate his theory.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
“Today’s agreement illustrates our belief that copyright is a cornerstone of the film and television industry – and reinforces our commitment to protect creative content,” said MPA Chairman and Chief Executive Charles Rivkin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
It illustrates a key issue facing The Hundred after its first year since the private investment that has resulted in several rebranded teams - including Sunrisers, who took the place of the Northern Superchargers.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
The dispute between Aman and content creator Ryan Walker illustrates the growing tension between commercial enterprises and influencers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
The phenomenon illustrates the growing influence TV can have on real estate and tourism.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
As Table 11.1 illustrates, others of our familiar infectious diseases can similarly be traced back to diseases of our animal friends.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
The tepid showing illustrated how the Warner Bros. studio has fallen since last year when it was riding high at the box office with “Sinners,” and “A Minecraft Movie.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Chew illustrated the extent of the bearish acceleration in sentiment shift in an update to his equity markets positioning model published on Monday.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
These efforts appear to have had little effect in calming markets, illustrated by this week’s sharp swings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The recipes are interspersed with stories from Kwon’s childhood in the store and illustrated spreads devoted to ingredients such as seaweed and tofu, explaining their varieties, particular virtues and best uses.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
Her book was a volume of English history illustrated with a few drawings which she pointed out to me.
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
The average tenure of a top-flight boss now stands at about 20 months, illustrating just how fleeting life in one of football's most demanding jobs can now be.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
That’s more than 3% of the country’s adult population, illustrating the feverish extent of stock market speculation and the danger of leverage.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Most of these well-performing vehicles are larger products, illustrating the continued appeal of such vehicles in the United States.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
In the finale, the officers team up against the judges, illustrating the power of working together, like our family.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
For instance, in English it’s not obvious how to draw a picture of the common syllable -tion, but we could instead draw a picture illustrating the verb shun, which has the same pronunciation.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
