# illustration

Pronunciation: US say "il-uh-STRAY-shuhn" /ˌɪl.əˈstɹeɪ.ʃən/; UK

## Noun

1. A picture created to decorate a publication or help explain a written work.
   - Simple: A picture in a book or magazine that explains the text or makes it look nicer.
   - _A detailed illustration accompanied the article about deep-sea creatures._
   - _The publisher commissioned new illustrations for the anniversary edition of the novel._
2. An example or comparison meant to make something clear or remove confusion.
   - Simple: An example or comparison used to help people understand an idea.
   - _She offered a vivid illustration of supply and demand using a lemonade stand._
   - _The court case became a textbook illustration of how the law can be misread._
3. The act of making something clear and distinct, usually through examples or images.
   - Simple: The work of making something clear, often by giving examples or pictures.
   - _The illustration of the new procedure occupied most of the training session._
   - _For the illustration of his argument, he turned to a labeled diagram on the board._
4. The condition of having been made clear and distinct.
   - Simple: The condition of being made clear, often shown through examples or pictures.
   - _The abstract theory finally found illustration in the museum's interactive exhibit._
   - _Once the data was charted, the trend reached full illustration for the committee._
5. A projected estimate of the premiums and returns associated with a life insurance policy.
   - Simple: A document that shows the likely costs and payouts of a life insurance policy over time.
   - _The agent walked the couple through an illustration of the whole-life policy._
   - _Regulators require that every illustration clearly separate guaranteed values from projected ones._

## Origin

From Middle French illustration, from Latin illūstrātiō, from the verb illūstrō ("I illustrate"). It can be analyzed as illustrate plus the suffix -ion.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/illustration (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).