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

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

Example 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 Geologic history Our findings were a concrete illustration that today’s rivers are products of ancient landscapes. — David Duvernell, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026 Subscription books were fancy and rich in illustration, not so much elegant as tarted up. — Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026 For a fall gathering, a puzzle featuring seasonal imagery, such as a cozy cottage, an autumn landscape, a vintage illustration, or a harvest scene, is a great choice. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026 Islamic finance offers perhaps the clearest illustration because its religious obligations, capital markets, and risk instruments already span the spectrum from household giving to sovereign finance. — Alaa Murabit, STAT, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for illustration

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illustration

Noun

But then the control experiment was give the questions without showing the diagrams.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 20 Aug. 2026
In fact, the way the enneagram diagram is set up includes some interconnectedness.

— Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of diagram

Noun

On one wall, the ambassador installed Marc Lipp’s Fight Fight Fight, a depiction of Trump with a bloody ear and raised fist painted by one of the president’s favorite Palm Beach watercolorists.

— Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
In her depiction of the exhausting vigilance this reality required, through a second-person voice cannily implicating her reader, Rankine created a new language to identify a problem as old as the United States.

— Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of depiction

Noun

Its graphics processing capabilities were repeatedly extended into new arenas, most consequentially AI computing.

— Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
And inside, the shoe’s insoles are printed with graphics depicting piles of beads — just in case the inspiration was lost on anyone.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of graphic

Noun

Under the Taliban’s draconian interpretation of sharia, watching movies, playing chess, singing, and playing or listening to music are all banned.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 31 Aug. 2026
Under certain interpretations of the 1963 rule, courts are not allowed to weigh whether a merger might make competition stronger overall.

— Shubha Ghosh, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of interpretation

Browse Nearby Words

illustrating

illustration

illustrational

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Style

“Illustration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illustration. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of illustration

noun

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