illustration

pronunciation

How to pronounce illustration in British English: UK [ˌɪləˈstreɪʃn]word uk audio image

How to pronounce illustration in American English: US [ˌɪləˈstreɪʃn] word us audio image

  • Noun:
    artwork that helps make something clear or attractive
    showing by example
    an item of information that is representative of a type
    a visual representation (a picture or diagram) that is used make some subject more pleasing or easier to understand

Word Origin

illustration (n.)
c. 1400, "a shining;" early 15c., "a manifestation;" mid-15c., "a spiritual illumination," from Old French illustration "apparition, appearance," and directly from Latin illustrationem (nominative illustratio) "vivid representation" (in writing), literally "an enlightening," from past participle stem of illustrare "light up, make light, illuminate;" figuratively "make clear, disclose, explain; adorn, render distinguished," from assimilated form of in- "in" (see in- (2)) + lustrare "make bright, illuminate," related to lucere "shine," lux "light" (see light (n.)). Mental sense of "act of making clear in the mind" is from 1580s. Meaning "an illustrative picture" is from 1816.

Example

1. By contrast , soros sees the current crisis as a real-life illustration of reflexivity .
2. I 've created an illustration and convert it into a valentine card .
3. A classic illustration comes from san diego , california .
4. An illustration or a logo is likely to need more sketching than a website .
5. I thought I 'd share this because it 's an illustration of how effective these ideas are - and they 've worked not only for me but for many of my reader .

more: >How to Use "illustration" with Example Sentences