illustration

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

Updated on: 25 May 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

The paintings are clever, if antiseptic: surreal, graphic, flat, intentionally made in styles that echo technical illustration.

— cate mcquaid, BostonGlobe.com, "At the ICA, Kevin Beasley alchemizes dark histories," 23 May 2018
Beige walls bear colorful photos and illustrations of two smiling young men and of Mexican folk art.

— rené a. guzman, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio’s paranormal power couple live with the haunted and cursed," 22 May 2018
The summertime stamps feature watercolor illustrations of ice pops.

— jennifer mcclellan, azcentral, "Post office to issue scratch-n-sniff stamps for the first time ever," 21 May 2018
This illustration from the weekly French youth publication La Jeunesse illustre, published between 1903 and 1935, shows a teacher spanking a student while two others wait with faces to the wall.

— bukola adebayo, CNN, "Nigerian students tied to crucifixes and beaten for coming late to school," 18 May 2018
Pingru’s drawings recall illustrations in classic Chinese novels.

— jingnan peng, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Our Story' offers a graphic glimpse of a China that no longer exists," 17 May 2018
Kids will explore a variety of mediums including paint, papier-mache, clay, and illustration.

— jennifer michelle greenberg, Houston Chronicle, "Looking for a summer camp? Here are options," 15 May 2018
Unlike a database, each set of maps, illustrations and data created by the Model is unique and cannot be duplicated simply by repeating a command.

— mark naymik, cleveland.com, "Read Cleveland Amazon document released by planning agency: Mark Naymik," 11 May 2018
Trump's continued refusal to apologize for his past comment about African nations was not the only illustration at the news conference of his general resistance to apologizing or admitting mistakes.

— noah bierman, latimes.com, "Trump has no apologies for earlier disparaging Africa or Muslims as Nigeria's president visits," 30 Apr. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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illustration Synonyms

Synonyms

clarification, construction, elucidation, exegesis, explanation, explication, exposition, illumination, interpretation;

Related Words

paraphrase, restatement, translation;

annotation, comment, commentary, epexegesis, gloss;

deciphering, decoding;

disentanglement, unscrambling;

analysis;

edification, enlightenment;

definition, meaning;

demonstration, enactment;

justification, rationale, rationalization, reasoning;

caution, caveat, warning;

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

Examples of illustration in a Sentence

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First Known Use of illustration

illustration Synonyms

Synonyms

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Synonym Discussion of illustration

ILLUSTRATION Defined for Kids

illustration

Definition of illustration for Students

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illustrational

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