illustrations

noun

plural of illustration
1
as in diagrams
something that visually explains or decorates a text this book on birds has gorgeous illustrations

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2
as in explanations
a statement that makes something clear forced to give several illustrations until she was understood

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3
as in pictures
a two-dimensional design intended to look like a person or thing the doctor sketched an illustration to explain the procedure to the patient

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4
as in examples
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

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 illustrations With its gentle rhythm and soothing illustrations, the story creates a calming bedtime ritual as the bunny bids farewell to everything in his world one by one. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 26 June 2026 Finishing the illustrations was the primary challenge. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 27 June 2026 In lieu of photography, the book is charmingly filled with illustrations of produce by the two authors; Evans created the line drawings, and Brennan is a watercolorist. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026 The set includes 25 hours of interviews, documentaries, and behind-the-scenes materials; deluxe packaging with rare photographs and new illustrations, plus artwork and documents annotated by Kubrick himself. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 22 June 2026 The suite of illustrations first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post magazine in November 1943, at the height of World War II. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 June 2026 The South Beach school’s 1975-‘76 yearbook was a patriotic red, white and blue and illustrations of the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell and the American Eagle. — Miami Herald, 1 July 2026 Rockwell, who became famous for his illustrations of everyday American life that graced covers of the Saturday Evening Post, spent hours at the White House people-watching from a chair in the West Wing lobby, McLaurin said. — ABC News, 25 June 2026 Schematics, facility maps, aerial photographs, engineering drawings, cutaway illustrations, and previously unfamiliar archival images reveal the extraordinary complexity of the undertaking. — Rebecca Coffey, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illustrations
  1. diagrams
  2. explanations
  3. pictures
  4. examples
  5. graphics
  6. interpretations
  7. depictions
  8. figures
Noun
  • Someone other than the original builder should review the code or process diagrams.
    — Aaron Rallo, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Greenwald has been known to draw diagrams for patients, showing them how to find their G-spot.
    — Melanie Thernstrom, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of diagrams
Noun
  • Some explanations of bodily difference were obviously wrong, such as physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence Benjamin Rush’s conviction that the dark skin of African Americans was a disease, derived from leprosy.
    — Katherine Ott, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
  • The Mass, rich in velvet and gold-trimmed vestments, chanting and incense, was livestreamed on the society’s YouTube channel, with simultaneous explanations in several languages.
    — Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of explanations
Noun
  • Other pictures on unofficial Telegram channels showed residents crowding into underground stations.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 2 July 2026
  • Ranging from the film pioneer Georges Méliès all the way through 2024’s Anora, Thomson’s survey covers silent pictures, the talkies, the studio era, the New Hollywood, and the age of streaming.
    — Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
Definition of pictures
Noun
  • Long considered one of the finest examples of colonial architecture to be found in Connecticut, the Ebenezer Grant House harbors a pleasant surprise.
    — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026
  • To date, examples have included 328-foot (100-meter) long turbine blades, large military vehicles, satellites, and aircraft fuselage parts, among other notable examples.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026
Definition of examples
Noun
  • It's powered by a highly capable six-core AMD Ryzen 5 220 processor and a fairly powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics chip for smooth gameplay.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 2 July 2026
  • Aside from the graphics of the nuggets and hand gestures, Soules' packaging also features a cartoon character resembling Trevillian.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of graphics
Noun
  • Teams leave with different interpretations, unclear priorities and competing assumptions about what matters most.
    — Jonas Barck, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • There are family recipes, alongside modern interpretations of Thai food.
    — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 25 June 2026
Definition of interpretations
Noun
  • My favorite depictions of this city know its real history is too cuckoo to capture sincerely; straight reenactments make the production of 35mm masterpieces look as piddly as Shrinky Dinks.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • The bell’s pyramidal face is decorated with depictions of deceased kings and queens, and its toll was believed to invoke ancestral spirits.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of depictions
Noun
  • Roberts said his product would be less expensive on a per-square-foot basis than traditional construction but declined to cite figures because individual site conditions affect the overall cost.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • The movie welcomes several major Hollywood figures, including Mckenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Elle Fanning, Kieran Culkin and Glenn Close.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Definition of figures

Browse Nearby Words

illustrational
illustrations
illustrative
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Cite this Entry

“Illustrations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illustrations. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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