illustrate

verb

il·​lus·​trate ˈi-lə-ˌstrāt 

also i-ˈlə-

illustrated; illustrating

transitive verb

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

obsolete

a

: enlighten

b

: to light up

4

a

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

Synonyms of illustrate

• demonstrate
• explain

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

Chinese media also reported that participating forces were stationed underground during the exercise to protect them from drone attacks, illustrating how persistent aerial surveillance and strike drones are changing battlefield operations. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026

Crowley won the primary by a half percentage point — roughly 3,800 votes — illustrating Democrats’ soul-searching in the Upper Midwestern swing state. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

Appended to the tweet, perhaps to illustrate how fresh the split is, Zilis included a screen capture of an apparent text message exchange between the two with the date of September 24. — Kahina Sekkaï, Vanity Fair, 3 Oct. 2026

Each portion of the exhibit has illustrated diagrams detailing that part of the human anatomy. — Emma Hall october 3, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin illustratus, past participle of illustrare, from in- + lustrare to purify, make bright — more at luster

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Rhymes for illustrate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids 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

illustrator

-ˌtrāt-ər 

noun