illustrative

adjective

il·​lus·​tra·​tive i-ˈlə-strə-tiv How to pronounce illustrative (audio)
also
ˈi-lə-ˌstrā- How to pronounce illustrative (audio)
: serving, tending, or designed to illustrate
illustrative examples
art that is illustrative of provincial life
illustratively adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This illustrative image from 2003 shows a ground radar monitoring station at the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) airforce base near the Jiuquan Launch Centre. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025 One illustrative statistic from Politico: Michael Wolff’s 2018 Trump book sold over 25,000 copies in its first week, while his 2025 Trump book only sold around 3,000 copies in the corresponding interval. James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025 The list could clearly go on but each of those illustrative instances of workplace inhospitality could be remedied by the practice of hospitality as described above. Joe Holt, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025 Here's a little demonstration, purely for illustrative purposes, to give a better sense. Stephen Miller, Bluesky Social, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for illustrative

Word History

First Known Use

1643, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of illustrative was in 1643

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Illustrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illustrative. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

illustrative

adjective
il·​lus·​tra·​tive il-ˈəs-trət-iv How to pronounce illustrative (audio)
: serving or meant to illustrate
illustrative examples

More from Merriam-Webster on illustrative

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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