illustration

plural illustrations

1. countableuncountableThe act of illustrating; the act of making clear and distinct.
2. countableuncountableThe state of being illustrated, or of being made clear and distinct.
3. countableuncountableSomething which illustrates; a comparison or example intended to make clear or apprehensible, or to remove obscurity.

   England will regard it as a measure of justice for Frank Lampard's disallowed goal against Germany in Bloemfontein at the 2010 World Cup - but it was also an illustration of how they rode their luck for long periods in front of a predictably partisan home crowd.

   2012 June 19, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 20 Aug 2020

   Synonyms: instance, example

4. countableuncountableA picture designed to decorate a publication, or elucidate a literary work.

   The sleeve of the band's new CD includes illustrations from deceased former members.

   2 more examples

   The illustration showing the water cycle made it much easier to understand for the children.

   Fossils show that the ancient primate Proconsul africanus, shown in the illustration above, was a tailless tree-dweller.

   2024 March 23, Mindy Weisberger, “Why don’t humans have tails? Scientists find answers in an unlikely place”, in CNN, archived from the original on 27 Mar 2024

5. countableuncountableA calculated prevision of insurance premiums and returns (life insurance).