illustrate

verb

il·lus·trate ˈi-lə-ˌstrāt

also i-ˈlə-

illustrated; illustrating

Synonyms of illustrate next

transitive verb

: to provide with visual features intended to explain or decorate

illustrate a book

: to make clear by giving or by serving as an example or instance

: to make clear : clarify

: to show clearly : demonstrate

obsolete

: enlighten

: to light up

archaic : to make illustrious

b obsolete

(1)

: to make bright

(2)

: adorn

intransitive verb

: to give an example or instance

illustrator

ˈi-lə-ˌstrā-tər

also i-ˈlə-

noun

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 release was delayed for hours due to a dispute over the delivery of more aid to the Gaza Strip that illustrated the fragility of a deal that was weeks in the making. —

Sune Engel Rasmussen, WSJ, 26 Nov. 2023 The case illustrates a citywide problem, Mendelson said: Racking up unpaid fines, which can be pending for years before the city tries to collect them, does little to incentivize landlords to spend money on fixing the underlying violations. —

Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023 See five charts that illustrate the current state of the housing market. —

Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 23 Nov. 2023 Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers believes its restaurant partner program illustrates the entrepreneurial dream. —

Hang Nguyen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Nov. 2023 In comparison, the Airbus A321neo advertises maximum passenger capacity of 220, which illustrates the level of service and space each passenger can expect on-board. —

Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 2023 The bridge was a recurring symbol throughout the trip, with references in Newsom’s speeches and even appearing on a sign illustrated to show the bridge blending into the Great Wall, China’s own historic landmark. —

Courtney Subramanian, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023 My experiences working with emerging companies vividly illustrate how these businesses can effectively harness their intellectual property to secure capital and fuel their growth. —

Joseph K. Hopkins, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 More than that, the events leading up to the women’s deaths illustrate how police, prosecutors and judges here have regularly given pass after pass to people accused of domestic violence and strangulation. —

Kyle Hopkins, ProPublica, 11 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'illustrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.