illustrate (v.)

1520s, "light up, shed light on;" 1610s, "educate by means of examples," back-formation from illustration, and in some cases from Latin illustratus, past participle of illustrare "light up, make light, illuminate." Sense of "provide pictures to explain or decorate" is 1630s. Related: Illustrated; illustrating.

also from 1520s

Entries linking to illustrate

illustrated (adj.)

"provided with drawings, etc., as illustration," 1831, past-participle adjective from illustrate (v.).

illustration (n.)

c. 1400, "a shining;" early 15c., "a manifestation;" mid-15c., "a spiritual illumination," from Old French illustration "apparition, appearance" (13c.) 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" (from PIE root *en "in") + lustrare "make bright, illuminate," from suffixed form of PIE root *leuk- "light, brightness." Mental sense of "act of making clear in the mind" is from 1580s. Meaning "an illustrative picture" is from 1816.

illustrator (n.)

1590s, "one who enlightens," agent noun in Latin form from illustrate, or from Late Latin illustrator "an enlightener." Meaning "one who draws pictures" is 1680s.

Trends of illustrate

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to Explore

exemplify

early 15c., exemplifien, "to illustrate or demonstrate by examples, to instruct by (good) example, be or serve as a model (of conduct)," good or bad, from Medieval Latin exemplificare "to illustrate," from Latin exemplum "example, pattern, model" (see example). Meaning "to serve

instance

late 14c., "urgency, insistence" (a sense now archaic), from Old French instance "effort, application; urgency, eagerness, anxiety" (13c.), from Latin instantia "presence, effort, intention; earnestness, urgency," literally "a standing near," from instans (see instant). In logic,

simile

Further, to Johnson, "A simile, to be perfect, must both illustrate and ennoble the subject."...

were

The forms illustrate Verner's Law (named for Danish linguist Karl Verner, 1875), which predicts the "s" to "z" sound shift...

illumination

participle stem of Latin illuminare "to throw into light, make bright, light up;" figuratively, in rhetoric, "to set off, illustrate...

squeamish

The historical forms of the word illustrate qu-/squ- alterations (compare squash (v.)); the variant squeasy (1580s) seems...

tenderfoot

And miners illustrate their conversation by the various terms used in mining....

render

late 14c., rendren, rendre, "repeat, say again, recite; translate," from Old French rendre "give back, present, yield" (10c.) and Medieval Latin rendere, from Vulgar Latin *rendere, a variant of Latin reddere "give back, return, restore," from red- "back" (see re-) + combining fo

show

Middle English sheuen, from Old English sceawian "to look at, see, gaze, behold, observe; inspect, examine; look for, choose," from Proto-Germanic *skauwojanan (source also of Old Saxon skauwon "to look at," Old Frisian skawia, Dutch schouwen, Old High German scouwon "to look at"

ornament

c. 1200, ournement, "an accessory; something that serves primarily for use but also may serve as adornment; ornamental apparel, jewels," from Old French ornement "ornament, decoration," and directly from Latin ornamentum "apparatus, equipment, trappings; embellishment, decoration

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updated on September 28, 2017

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Dictionary entries near illustrate

illusion

illusionary

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illusive

illusory

illustrate

illustrated

illustration

illustrative

illustrator

illustrious