illustrate
verb
il·lus·trate
ˈi-lə-ˌstrāt 
also i-ˈlə-
illustrated; illustrating
1
a
: to provide with visual features intended to explain or decorate
illustrate a book
b
: to make clear by giving or by serving as an example or instance
personal experiences illustrated his point
c
: to make clear : clarify
illustrate a difficult subject
2
: to show clearly : demonstrate
recent events illustrate the need for change
3
4
: to give an example or instance
Examples of illustrate in a Sentence
He illustrated his lecture with stories of his own experiences in the field.
Please give a few examples to illustrate your point.
The results illustrate how important it is to wear your seatbelt.
The students will write and illustrate their own stories.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ashizawa also produced several bell peppers at the podium – purchased at a local market the previous day – to illustrate her preferred method for camera testing.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 May 2026
The woozy, choppily edited party sequence, featuring lots of handheld, cellphone-style footage and glassy slow-motion interludes, clearly illustrates the camaraderie and profound affection between the five main characters, who tease and tickle one another like sportive, overgrown puppies.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
This illustrates how hyperscalers are building infrastructure that reduces dependence on any single CPU vendor.
—Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026
In the absence of archive footage of Che, Benigno, Pombo, and Urbano and comrades in the jungles of Bolivia in the 1960s, the director turned to animation to illustrate the story.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for illustrate
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Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 May 2026
The woozy, choppily edited party sequence, featuring lots of handheld, cellphone-style footage and glassy slow-motion interludes, clearly illustrates the camaraderie and profound affection between the five main characters, who tease and tickle one another like sportive, overgrown puppies.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
This illustrates how hyperscalers are building infrastructure that reduces dependence on any single CPU vendor.
—Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026
In the absence of archive footage of Che, Benigno, Pombo, and Urbano and comrades in the jungles of Bolivia in the 1960s, the director turned to animation to illustrate the story.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for illustrate
Cite this Entry
“Illustrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illustrate. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
illustrate
verb
il·lus·trate
ˈil-əs-ˌtrāt
il-ˈəs-
illustrated; illustrating
1
: to make clear by using examples
illustrated his point with a personal experience
2
a
: to provide with pictures or diagrams intended to explain or decorate
illustrate a book
b
: to serve as an illustration
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