illustration
//ˌɪləsˈtɹeɪ̯ʃən//
Forms
- Plural
- illustrations
Definitions
1.The act of illustrating; the act of making clear and distinct.
2.The state of being illustrated, or of being made clear and distinct.
3.Something which illustrates; a comparison or example intended to make clear or apprehensible, or to remove obscurity.
4.A picture designed to decorate a publication, or elucidate a literary work.
- The sleeve of the band's new CD includes illustrations from deceased former members.
- The illustration showing the water cycle made it much easier to understand for the children.
- Fossils show that the ancient primate Proconsul africanus, shown in the illustration above, was a tailless tree-dweller.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #3813
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French illustration, from Latin illūstrātiō, from illūstrō (“to illustrate”).
By surface analysis, illustrate + -ion.