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

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 The paint on the nursery’s charming mural of illustrations by Sammy Hauschild was dry. —

Christine Lennon, Architectural Digest, 11 Feb. 2026 One of last week's most heated controversies was over a video the president posted on Truth Social that included a clip in which former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama's faces were transposed on a monkey-like illustration. —

Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 10 Feb. 2026 The accompanying illustration shows a terrified boy running from a sky full of books flapping their pages like Hitchcockian birds. —

Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026 At night, gather in front of a crackling fire for pre-dinner drinks in the drawing room, which is filled with illustrations of Parisian opera stars, antique finds, and Monopoly. —

Harriet Compston, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for illustration

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illustration

Noun

The other agents in the car continued to lie when describing the circumstances of the shooting to the FBI, including in a diagram that purported to show three cars in front of the agents’ Tahoe blocking them from moving forward.

— Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Inspired by both pre-Columbian cultures and modern scientific theories, Jensen made energetic diagrams of shapes, symbols, and numbers in loud complementary colors, using thick globs of paint; the results generate a fascinating friction.

— Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026

Definition of diagram

Browse Nearby Words

illustrating

illustration

illustrational

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“Illustration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illustration. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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Last Updated: 15 Feb 2026 - Updated example sentences

Synonyms of illustration

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