illustrative
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- illustratively adverb
- nonillustrative adjective
- nonillustratively adverb
- overillustrative adjective
- overillustratively adverb
- self-illustrative adjective
- unillustrative adjective
Etymology
Origin of illustrative
First recorded in 1635–45; illustrate + -ive
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.
Rima Fand’s pleasant, folk-tinged score is illustrative rather than striking; the accompanying ensemble of mandolin, string quartet and bass, led from the piano by Mila Henry, plays a lot of ostinatos.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026
That’s why SpaceX’s latest milestone is so notable — and illustrative of the company’s dominant industry position.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 17, 2025
The commission concluded that an analysis of the betting data was not "illustrative of a spot-fix" and added it was "in many respects inconsistent with a spot-fix, but consistent with alternative explanations".
From BBC • Sep. 3, 2025
The primary is the main character print, which is more complex and illustrative.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2025
Liszt spearheaded a shift from orchestral to illustrative music, using this 1850 painting of Attila the Hun in battle as the basis for his symphonic poem Hunnenschlacht.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
