illustrate

il·lus·trate | \ ˈi-lə-ˌstrāt also i-ˈlə-

How to pronounce illustrate (audio)

\

illustrated; illustrating

Definition of illustrate

transitive verb

1a : 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

c : to make clear : clarify

2 : to show clearly : demonstrate

3 obsolete

b : to light up

4a archaic : to make illustrious

b obsolete

(1) : to make bright

(2) : adorn

intransitive verb

: to give an example or instance

Other Words from illustrate Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about illustrate

Keep scrolling for more

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 The tipster showed the paper personal details about Israeli VIPs to illustrate the kind of information available. — Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, "Benjamin Netanyahu’s election app potentially exposed data for every Israeli voter," 10 Feb. 2020 USA TODAY Sports spoke with four XFL players about their unique journeys to the league in an attempt to illustrate what the league means in the broader football ecosystem. — Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, "Different roads to the XFL: How the new league has helped resurrect some dreams, and keep others alive," 8 Feb. 2020 To illustrate this point, Filucci recalls being in line at the grocery store and overhearing a (very grown-up) woman in front of her share a conspiracy theory about the coronavirus with the cashier. — NBC News, "How to talk to your kids about the coronavirus (and ease their fears)," 7 Feb. 2020 Cummins has said her novel was supposed to illustrate the trials and challenges Latino regularly immigrants face. — oregonlive, "Commentary: ‘American Dirt’ is unlike any Mexican immigrant story you’ve ever read. And that’s the problem," 30 Jan. 2020 Scenes from a fictional story about an affluent American family are interspersed with these information-dense interviews to illustrate the concepts at work. — Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Social Dilemma': Film Review | Sundance 2020," 27 Jan. 2020 To illustrate, consider this fraught question that bears on public policy: What are the effects of socioeconomic disadvantage on IQ? — Charles Murray, WSJ, "Genetics Will Revolutionize Social Science," 27 Jan. 2020 Chimiugak used a knife in the mud to illustrate her stories to schoolchildren. — Time, "Alaska Native Elder, 90, Is First American Counted in 2020 Census," 22 Jan. 2020 To Green, that meant closely following an assistant’s mundane daily rhythms and tasks to illustrate the job’s demoralizing nature. — Tyler Aquilina, EW.com, "The Assistant is not just about Harvey Weinstein, says star Julia Garner and director Kitty Green," 22 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'illustrate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about illustrate

Dictionary Entries near illustrate

illusory appointment

Statistics for illustrate

Last Updated

15 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Illustrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illustrate. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for illustrate

illustrate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of illustrate

: to give examples in order to make (something) easier to understand

: to be proof or evidence of (something)

: to explain or decorate a story, book, etc., with pictures

See the full definition for illustrate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

illustrate

il·lus·trate | \ ˈi-lə-ˌstrāt

\

illustrated; illustrating

Kids Definition of illustrate

1 : to supply with pictures or diagrams meant to explain or decorate illustrate a book

2 : to make clear by using examples She illustrated her point with stories.

3 : to serve as an example The results illustrate the need for planning.

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

eradicate

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

More Confusing Words—Quiz

The magician ______ moved the selected card to the top of the deck.

discretely discreetly

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.