Thesaurus results for ILLUSTRATION

Q: How is the word 'illustration' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of illustration are case , example , instance , sample , and specimen . While all these words mean "something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its category," illustration applies to an instance offered as a means of clarifying or illuminating a general statement. // a telling illustration of Murphy's Law

Q: Where would 'case' be a reasonable alternative to 'illustration'?

The meanings of case and illustration largely overlap; however, case is used to direct attention to a real or assumed occurrence or situation that is to be considered, studied, or dealt with. // a case of mistaken identity

Q: When could 'example' be used to replace 'illustration'?

In some situations, the words example and illustration are roughly equivalent. However, example applies to a typical, representative, or illustrative instance or case. // a typical example of bureaucratic waste

Q: When would 'instance' be a good substitute for 'illustration'?

While the synonyms instance and illustration are close in meaning, instance applies to any individual person, act, or thing that may be offered to illustrate or explain. // an instance of history repeating itself

Q: In what contexts can 'sample' take the place of 'illustration'?

The words sample and illustration can be used in similar contexts, but sample implies a part or unit taken at random from a larger whole and so presumed to be typical of its qualities. // show us a sample of your work

Q: When might 'specimen' be a better fit than 'illustration'?

While in some cases nearly identical to illustration , specimen applies to any example or sample whether representative or merely existent and available. // one of the finest specimens of the jeweler's art

illustration

noun

ˌi-lə-ˈstrā-shən

Definition of illustration next

as in diagram

something that visually explains or decorates a text this book on birds has gorgeous illustrations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in explanation

a statement that makes something clear forced to give several illustrations until she was understood

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in depiction

a two-dimensional design intended to look like a person or thing the doctor sketched an illustration to explain the procedure to the patient

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in example

one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like chose one essay as an illustration of the high quality of the collection

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word illustration distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of illustration are case, example, instance, sample, and specimen. While all these words mean "something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its category," illustration applies to an instance offered as a means of clarifying or illuminating a general statement.

a telling illustration of Murphy's Law

Where would case be a reasonable alternative to illustration?

The meanings of case and illustration largely overlap; however, case is used to direct attention to a real or assumed occurrence or situation that is to be considered, studied, or dealt with.

a case of mistaken identity

When could example be used to replace illustration?

In some situations, the words example and illustration are roughly equivalent. However, example applies to a typical, representative, or illustrative instance or case.

a typical example of bureaucratic waste

When would instance be a good substitute for illustration?

While the synonyms instance and illustration are close in meaning, instance applies to any individual person, act, or thing that may be offered to illustrate or explain.

an instance of history repeating itself

In what contexts can sample take the place of illustration?

The words sample and illustration can be used in similar contexts, but sample implies a part or unit taken at random from a larger whole and so presumed to be typical of its qualities.

show us a sample of your work

When might specimen be a better fit than illustration?

While in some cases nearly identical to illustration, specimen applies to any example or sample whether representative or merely existent and available.

one of the finest specimens of the jeweler's art

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of illustration The exhibition devoted one room to each year from 1989 to 1993 while a mezzanine displayed a series of illustrations, films, and documents. —

Mateus Nunes, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2024 The ad was released alongside a series of limited-edition Coca-Cola can designs featuring 38 illustrations of Marvel characters. —

Caroline Reid, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 Along the way, the scholar shines a light on historical figures like Shaikh Zain ud-Din, an 18th-century Indian artist who painted illustrations of silk moths, and Ramón María Termeyer, a Spanish priest who studied silk-producing animals, especially spiders, in mid-18th-century South America. —

Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Nov. 2024 An English translation of the book, by American poet Emmett Williams and featuring illustrations by French cartoonist Roland Topor, came out in 1966, and Spoerri and others added appendices and expanded the index. —

News Desk, Artforum, 27 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for illustration

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illustration

Noun

Kim Kardashian Reveals the Viral SKIMS Nipple Bra Was Modeled After Her Own Breasts The clip cut to the star pointing at a detailed diagram of the nipple bra.

Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024
Fifty years ago, a brash middle manager had a vision: a chip in a day The Project SWIFT fabrication line was based on sectors, as shown in this patent diagram of the system from 1973.

IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Nov. 2024