Illustration

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌɪl.əˈstɹeɪ.ʃən/

Definitions

1. A picture or drawing used to explain, decorate, or clarify something in a book, article, or presentation
2. A visual representation or drawing that enhances understanding, complements text, or adds interest to written material or digital content
3. A graphic depiction or image designed to elaborate, adorn, or clarify concepts in various forms of communication, such as books or online material

Etymology: The English noun "illustration" began as a word about light. Its Latin ancestor, "illūstrātiō", came from "illūstrō", meaning to light up or make bright, and the verb "illustrate" carried that sense of shining or lighting into a thing, which is why the word once described brightening or clarifying something in the mind rather than on the page. The Latin verb itself is built from "in-" and "lustrare", to make bright or purify, and the same root sits behind the English "lustre". The word reached English by way of Middle French "illustration", which is where it picked up the sense of making a matter clear or famous through explanation or example. The picture sense came later, as a figurative extension: an example or instance that "lights up" a point eventually became a drawing that does the same job for a text.

Synonyms: drawing, picture, image, depiction, representation

Antonyms: ambiguity, obscurity, confusion, misrepresentation, misunderstanding