- 1 [usually passive] to use pictures, photographs, diagrams, etc. in a book, etc. illustrate something an illustrated textbook illustrate something with something His lecture was illustrated with photos taken during the expedition. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbcopiously, generously, heavily, … prepositionby, with See full entry
- 2 to make the meaning of something clearer by using examples, pictures, etc. illustrate something To illustrate my point, let me tell you a little story. Last year's sales figures are illustrated in Figure 2. illustrate how, what, etc… Here's an example to illustrate what I mean. Language BankillustrateReferring to a chart, graph or table This bar chart illustrates how many journeys people made on public transport over a three-month period. This table compares bus, train, and taxi use between April and June. The results are shown in the chart below. In this pie chart, the survey results are broken down by age. This pie chart breaks down the survey results by age. As can be seen from these results, younger people use buses more than older people. According to these figures, bus travel accounts for 60% of public transport use. From the data in the above graph, it is apparent that buses are the most widely used form of public transport. language bank at evidence, fall, increase, proportion, surprising Language BankprocessDescribing a process This diagram illustrates the process of paper-making./This diagram shows how paper is made. First/First of all, logs are delivered to a paper mill, where the bark is removed and the wood is cut into small chips. Next/Second, the wood chips are pulped, either using chemicals or in a pulping machine. Pulping breaks down the internal structure of the wood and enables/allows the natural oils to be removed. Once/After the wood has been pulped, the pulp is bleached in order to remove impurities. /…is bleached so that impurities can be removed. The next stage is to feed the pulp into the paper machine, where it is mixed with water and then poured onto a wire conveyor belt. As the pulp travels along the conveyor belt, the water drains away. This causes the solid material to sink to the bottom, forming a layer of paper. At this point the new paper is still wet, so it is passed between large heated rollers, which press out the remaining water and simultaneously dry the paper/…dry the paper at the same time. The final stage is to wind the paper onto large rolls./Finally, the paper is wound onto large rolls. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbamply, aptly, brilliantly, … verb + illustrateserve to, attempt to, seek to, … prepositionby, to See full entry
- 3illustrate something | illustrate how, what, etc… | illustrate that… to show that something is true or that a situation exists synonym demonstrate The incident illustrates the need for better security measures. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbamply, aptly, brilliantly, … verb + illustrateserve to, attempt to, seek to, … prepositionby, to See full entry Word Originearly 16th cent. (in the sense ‘illuminate, shed light on’): from Latin illustrat- ‘lit up’, from the verb illustrare, from in- ‘upon’ + lustrare ‘illuminate’.Extra examples He is showing these silent films to help illustrate his story of survival. His question merely illustrates his ignorance of the subject. Most items are illustrated by a photograph. The case tragically illustrates the dangers of fireworks. The dire consequences of chronic underfunding are nowhere better illustrated than in the nation’s schools. The new edition is heavily illustrated with photographs of aircraft. This consequence can be illustrated by a simple example. Two examples serve to illustrate this point. Two more examples will suffice to illustrate this point. What she attempts to illustrate is the difference between her company and her competitors. a collection of photographically illustrated magazines a way of illustrating to the chairman the folly of his decision His lecture was illustrated with photos taken during the expedition. Last year’s sales figures are illustrated in Figure 2. To illustrate my point, let me tell you a little story. a beautifully illustrated book
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BrE BrE//ˈɪləstreɪt//; NAmE NAmE//ˈɪləstreɪt//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they illustrate BrE BrE//ˈɪləstreɪt//; NAmE NAmE//ˈɪləstreɪt//
he / she / it illustrates BrE BrE//ˈɪləstreɪts//; NAmE NAmE//ˈɪləstreɪts//
past simple illustrated BrE BrE//ˈɪləstreɪtɪd//; NAmE NAmE//ˈɪləstreɪtɪd//
past participle illustrated BrE BrE//ˈɪləstreɪtɪd//; NAmE NAmE//ˈɪləstreɪtɪd//
-ing form illustrating BrE BrE//ˈɪləstreɪtɪŋ//; NAmE NAmE//ˈɪləstreɪtɪŋ//
Check pronunciation: illustrate
