illustration

noun il·lus·tra·tion \ ˌi-lə-ˈstrā-shən also i-ˌlə- \

Updated on: 6 Jan 2018

Definition of illustration

1 a : the action of illustrating : the condition of being illustrated

b archaic : the action of making illustrious or honored or distinguished

2 : something that serves to illustrate: such as

a : an example or instance that helps make something clear

b : a picture or diagram that helps make something clear or attractive

—

illustrational

play \ˌi-lə-ˈstrā-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl also i-ˌlə-\ adjective

See illustration defined for English-language learners

See illustration defined for kids

Examples of illustration in a Sentence

The illustration on page 30 shows the parts of an engine.
a book with many photographs and illustrations
The illustrations that he provided in his speech were very effective.
They selected photographs to use for the illustration of the book.
Illustration is the key to good communication.

Recent Examples of illustration from the Web

But the post-passage announcements served as yet another illustration of where middle-income earners fit into this once-in-a-generation tax cut: afterthoughts.

— james briggs, Indianapolis Star, "Briggs: Nevermind AT&T and Comcast. Tax cuts probably won't get you a bonus.," 22 Dec. 2017
But the post-passage announcements served as yet another illustration of where middle-income earners fit into this once-in-a-generation tax cut: afterthoughts.

— james briggs, USA TODAY, "Analysis: Nevermind AT&T and Comcast. Tax cuts probably won't get you a bonus.," 22 Dec. 2017
Maulik said that’s an illustration of one of the main challenges doctors face in keeping pregnant women healthy.

— andy marso, kansascity, "Mortality rate for pregnant Missouri women is high. Here’s why," 19 Dec. 2017
The designer behind Kahri paints original watercolor illustrations of fashion, music and art icons to print on linen.

— vera castaneda, latimes.com, "Stocking stuffers," 3 Nov. 2017
Here’s a good illustration of Dalton’s key stats in his breakout year of 2015 vs his 18 games with Zampese and 3 with Lazor.

— paul dehner jr., Cincinnati.com, "Walkthru: As usual, Steelers block Bengals' path," 16 Oct. 2017
Wikipedia has a helpful illustration of how this works: This technique has been used for decades in radar systems, where the transmitters are radar antennas.

— timothy b. lee, Ars Technica, "How the lidar-on-a-chip technology GM just bought probably works," 11 Oct. 2017
This belief is reflected in children’s books, which sometimes sport anatomically correct illustrations of children with no clothes on.

— linda Åkeson mcgurk, Time, "How to Parent Like a Scandinavian," 4 Oct. 2017
The black top features an '80s movie poster-style illustration of the show's young stars, as well as the series title in its signature eerie red font.

— halie lesavage, Glamour, "Louis Vuitton Sent 'Stranger Things' Merch Down the Runway at Paris Fashion Week," 3 Oct. 2017

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

First Known Use of illustration

14th century

illustration Synonyms

Synonyms

diagram, figure, graphic, plate, visual

Synonym Discussion of illustration

instance, case, illustration, example, sample, specimen mean something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its category. instance applies to any individual person, act, or thing that may be offered to illustrate or explain.

- an instance of history repeating itself

case is used to direct attention to a real or assumed occurrence or situation that is to be considered, studied, or dealt with.

- a case of mistaken identity

illustration applies to an instance offered as a means of clarifying or illuminating a general statement.

- a telling illustration of Murphy's Law

example applies to a typical, representative, or illustrative instance or case.

- a typical example of bureaucratic waste

sample implies a part or unit taken at random from a larger whole and so presumed to be typical of its qualities.

- show us a sample of your work

specimen applies to any example or sample whether representative or merely existent and available.

- one of the finest specimens of the jeweler's art

ILLUSTRATION Defined for Kids

illustration

noun il·lus·tra·tion \ ˌi-lə-ˈstrā-shən \

Definition of illustration for Students

1 : a picture or diagram that explains or decorates

The dictionary has color illustrations.

2 : an example or instance used to make something clear

The speech included illustrations of his successes.

3 : the action of illustrating : the condition of being illustrated

He finished the illustration of the book.

Learn More about illustration

See words that rhyme with illustration Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for illustration Spanish Central: Translation of illustration Nglish: Translation of illustration for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of illustration for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about illustration

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illustration

Definition of illustration

illustrational

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illustration Synonyms

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ILLUSTRATION Defined for Kids

illustration

Definition of illustration for Students

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illustration

Definition of illustration

illustrational

From the M-W Editors

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ILLUSTRATION Defined for Kids

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