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illustration

illustration

66 2.8
A picture in a book that helps explain or decorate the text
  • noun
  • /ˌɪləˈstreɪʃən/
translation icon : ilustración
  • The book contains beautiful illustrations that depict scenes from the story.
  • book illustrations
  • color illustrations
  • illustrations and photographs

And then it went from comic book drawing and illustrations to martial arts.

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Examples

  • The lady at the store said it has illustrations of all the procedures that cosmetology students have to master before they earn their license.

  • And this is one of the illustrations that stood out to both of us.

  • There was an illustration that showed a gate like the one we saw being built.

  • But they have these beautiful illustrations of the fish.

  • And again, I just love the cute illustrations throughout it.

  • Well, in the funny papers, they sometimes have this little competition where you have to find an animal hidden in an illustration.

  • For instance, students can design a picture book or create multiple illustrations to accompany limited writing activities.

    Academic text (1992)
  • In the magazine, there's an article with an illustration about the towers.

  • And the illustrations inside are so bright, so colorful, so, so vivid.

  • Clicking on a number displays a close-up, cutaway illustration and detailed explanation of the technology being used.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

picture
vsillustration
1.0

An image like a drawing or photograph that shows something

is used specifically as an explanatory or decorative item alongside text
image
vsillustration
1.0

A picture showing a person or thing

is used specifically to explain or decorate text rather than any visual
drawing
vsillustration
184 1.0

A picture made by hand with a pen or pencil

is any explanatory or decorative visual used with text, not only hand-made work
visual
vsillustration
76 3.5

A picture or graphic that explains something

is aimed at explaining or decorating printed or written material
representation
vsillustration
74 3.5

A picture or model that shows what something looks like

is focused on aiding readers by explaining or decorating written material
view
vsillustration
48 2.7

A picture that shows a place or scene

is selected here to support or decorate accompanying written text
artwork
vsillustration
45 3.0

Pictures and drawings used in a book or magazine

is the specific visual chosen to explain or decorate article content
depiction
vsillustration
30 4.0

A picture or other image that shows what something looked like

serves here mainly to clarify or adorn words in a text
rendering
vsillustration
  • Specialized
20 5.8

A picture or computer image that shows how a building will look

is the general explanatory or decorative visual used with text
portrayal
vsillustration
3 4.0

A picture or statue that shows what a person looks like

is used more for explaining or decorating text than pure portraiture
delineation
vsillustration
  • Formal
2 6.7

A drawing that shows the outlines or shapes of things

is broader, applying to any explanatory or decorative visual in text
illumination
vsillustration
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A small painting that decorates a page in a medieval book

is a general explanatory or decorative visual not limited to book decoration
pictorial representation
vsillustration
1 4.3

A picture that shows something, like a scene or object

is chosen mainly to clarify or decorate text rather than general art
limning
vsillustration
  • Archaic
9.9

A simple drawing that shows the outer lines of an object like a face or building

is used more widely to explain or decorate written material beyond outlines
illus.
vsillustration
  • Specialized
7.8

A picture in a book or article

is the full spoken or written form used to name the explanatory image

How Informative

chart
420 1.3
diagram
88 2.8
illustration
66 2.8
sketch
150 2.5

Surface Forms

illustration singular
illustrations plural

Morphology

illustration = illustrate (transparent) = illustrate + ion

The noun for a 'picture used to illustrate' is a regular nominalization of the verb 'illustrate' and retains a clear relation to the verb.

Etymology

Illustration comes from the Latin illustrare, meaning 'to light up', like the English word illuminate. So a picture or drawing is an illustration because it 'lights up' the text and shows the idea clearly.