illustrate
verb
il·lus·trate
ˈi-lə-ˌstrāt 
also i-ˈlə-
illustrated; illustrating
1
a
: to provide with visual features intended to explain or decorate
illustrate a book
b
: to make clear by giving or by serving as an example or instance
c
: to make clear : clarify
2
: to show clearly : demonstrate
3
4
: to give an example or instance
Examples of illustrate in a Sentence
He illustrated his lecture with stories of his own experiences in the field.
Please give a few examples to illustrate your point.
The results illustrate how important it is to wear your seatbelt.
The students will write and illustrate their own stories.
Recent Examples on the Web
These numbers instead aim to simply illustrate trends or superlatives.
—
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 22 Oct. 2024
What the rapper seems to be getting at is well illustrated with his Moncler Genius collection.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2024
But a rash of recent leadership shakeups illustrates the enduring power of the White Guy as a kind of capsule wardrobe for corporate leadership.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024
How Tommy Edman became a Dodgers playoff star Oct. 21, 2024
For the most part, however, differences were more pronounced than similarities, and illustrate how much baseball has changed in 59 years.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for illustrate 
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 22 Oct. 2024
What the rapper seems to be getting at is well illustrated with his Moncler Genius collection.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2024
But a rash of recent leadership shakeups illustrates the enduring power of the White Guy as a kind of capsule wardrobe for corporate leadership.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024
How Tommy Edman became a Dodgers playoff star Oct. 21, 2024
For the most part, however, differences were more pronounced than similarities, and illustrate how much baseball has changed in 59 years.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for illustrate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'illustrate.' 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 illustrate
Cite this Entry
“Illustrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illustrate. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
illustrate
verb
il·lus·trate
ˈil-əs-ˌtrāt
il-ˈəs-
illustrated; illustrating
1
: to make clear by using examples
illustrated his point with a personal experience
2
a
: to provide with pictures or diagrams intended to explain or decorate
illustrate a book
b
: to serve as an illustration
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