illustrative
adjective
il·lus·tra·tive
i-ˈlə-strə-tiv 
also
ˈi-lə-ˌstrā-
: serving, tending, or designed to illustrate
illustrative examples
art that is illustrative of provincial life
illustratively
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of illustrative in a Sentence
an illustrative analogy in which the relationship between God and humanity is likened to that between a shepherd and his flock
Recent Examples on the Web
Take rock-paper-scissors as an illustrative example.
—
Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 16 July 2024
Or were her emotions in fact the puppets, forced to act out an illustrative action-adventure in allegorical space?
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024
For me, that was very illustrative of this reciprocity of geology and biology, of earth and life.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 25 June 2024
This was certainly the case with many of Davis’s contemporaries, and this defensiveness could often make for dully literal, merely illustrative filmmaking.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for illustrative 
Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 16 July 2024
Or were her emotions in fact the puppets, forced to act out an illustrative action-adventure in allegorical space?
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024
For me, that was very illustrative of this reciprocity of geology and biology, of earth and life.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 25 June 2024
This was certainly the case with many of Davis’s contemporaries, and this defensiveness could often make for dully literal, merely illustrative filmmaking.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for illustrative
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'illustrative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near illustrative
Cite this Entry
“Illustrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illustrative. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
illustrative
adjective
il·lus·tra·tive
il-ˈəs-trət-iv
: serving or meant to illustrate
illustrative examples
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share