(illustrates, illustrating, illustrated)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
If you say that something illustrates a situation that you are drawing attention to, you mean that it shows that the situation exists.
The example of the United States illustrates this point...
The incident graphically illustrates how parlous their position is...
The case also illustrates that some women are now trying to fight back.
= demonstrate
VERB: V n, V wh, V that
2.
If you use an example, story, or diagram to illustrate a point, you use it show that what you are saying is true or to make your meaning clearer.
Let me give another example to illustrate this difficult point...
Throughout, she illustrates her analysis with excerpts from discussions.
VERB: V n, V n with n
• illustration
Here, by way of illustration, are some extracts from our new catalogue.
N-UNCOUNT: usu prep N
3.
If you illustrate a book, you put pictures, photographs or diagrams into it.
She went on to art school and is now illustrating a book...
He has illustrated the book with black-and-white photographs.
VERB: V n, V n with n
• illustrated
The book is beautifully illustrated throughout.
ADJ
• illustration
...the world of children's book illustration.
N-UNCOUNT