illustrate

English

Etymology

Back-formation from illustration.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɪl.jʊˌstɹeɪt/, /ɪˈlʌsˌtɹeɪt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɪl.əˌstɹeɪt/, /ɪˈlʌsˌtɹeɪt/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Verb

illustrate (third-person singular simple present illustrates, present participle illustrating, simple past and past participle illustrated)

1. (obsolete) To shed light upon.

   Synonyms: illuminate; see also Thesaurus:illuminate

   • 1614–1615, Homer, “(please specify the book number)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615, OCLC 1002865976; republished in The Odysseys of Homer, […], volume (please specify the book number), London: John Russell Smith, […], 1857, OCLC 987451380:

     Here, when the morn illustrates all the sky.

2. (figuratively) To clarify something by giving, or serving as, an example or a comparison.
   • 1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], OCLC 228732398:

     To prove him, and illustrate his high worth.

   • 2012 September 7, Phil McNulty, “Moldova 0-5 England”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     England were graphically illustrating the huge gulf in class between the sides and it was no surprise when Lampard added the second just before the half hour. Steven Gerrard found his Liverpool team-mate Glen Johnson and Lampard arrived in the area with perfect timing to glide a header beyond Namasco.

   We illustrate our definitions by including quotations or simple examples.

3. To provide a book or other publication with pictures, diagrams or other explanatory or decorative features.

   The economics textbook was illustrated with many graphs.

4. (obsolete) To give renown or honour to; to make illustrious.

   Synonym: glorify

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book 5”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:

     Matter to me of glory, whom their hate / Illustrates.

See also

• shed light upon

Translations

to clarify by giving as an example

• Belarusian: ілюстрава́ць impf or pf (iljustravácʹ)
• Bulgarian: пояснявам (bg) (pojasnjavam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 舉例說明, 举例说明 (jǔlì shuōmíng), 闡明 (zh), 阐明 (zh) (chǎnmíng)

• Czech: ilustrovat (cs)
• Finnish: kuvata (fi), havainnollistaa (fi)
• French: illustrer (fr)
• Galician: ilustrar (gl)
• German: illustrieren (de)

• Hungarian: szemléltet (hu), megvilágít (hu), illusztrál (hu)
• Ido: klarigar (io), lumizar (io), explikar (io)
• Italian: illustrare (it), mostrare (it)
• Maori: whakatauira
• Polish: obrazować (pl) impf, zobrazować (pl) pf
• Portuguese: ilustrar (pt)
• Romanian: ilustra (ro)
• Russian: иллюстри́ровать (ru) (illjustrírovatʹ), поясня́ть (ru) (pojasnjátʹ), приводи́ть приме́ры (privodítʹ priméry)
• Spanish: ilustrar (es)
• Walloon: mostrer (wa), espliker (wa)
• Welsh: egluro (cy), esbonio (cy)

to add explanatory or decoratory features

• Belarusian: ілюстрава́ць impf or pf (iljustravácʹ)
• Bulgarian: илюстрирам (iljustriram)
• Czech: ilustrovat (cs)
• Esperanto: ilustri (eo)
• Finnish: kuvittaa (fi)
• French: illustrer (fr)
• Galician: ilustrar (gl)
• German: illustrieren (de)
• Hebrew: אִיֵּר‎ (he) (iyyér)
• Hungarian: illusztrál (hu)

• Ido: ilustrar (io)
• Irish: maisigh
• Italian: illustrare (it), descrivere (it), spiegare (it), esemplificare
• Portuguese: ilustrar (pt)
• Romanian: ilustra (ro)
• Russian: иллюстри́ровать (ru) (illjustrírovatʹ), де́лать иллюстра́ции (délatʹ illjustrácii), оформля́ть (ru) (oformljátʹ)
• Spanish: ilustrar (es)
• Walloon: enimådjî (wa)
• Welsh: darlunio (cy)

References

• John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989), “illustrate”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN.

---

Italian

Adjective

illustrate f pl

1. feminine plural of illustrato

Verb

illustrate

1. inflection of illustrare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative
   3. feminine plural past participle

---

Latin

Participle

illūstrāte

1. vocative masculine singular of illūstrātus