This diagram will illustrate what I mean.
Source: tatoeba (58311)
Illustrate
/ˈɪl.əˌstɹeɪt/
Synonyms for "illustrate" (375 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (75)
Verb(16 words)
exemplifyadducedanalogizeanalogizesartificializeclarifyclarify datademoeddemonstratedemonstrate a hypothesisdemonstrate conceptdemonstrate evidencedemonstrate irrigationdemonstrate methodsdemonstrate truthdemonstrated
account foraddressadornadumbrateallegorizeapproveargueattestbespeakbetokenbody forthbreathecall to mindcitecite a particularclarifyclearclear upconnotecrack
Show 3 more words
Adjective(7 words)
accurate modelcatalan painting todayclear educational valueclear processescolorimetric teachingcultural exhibitdemo unit
Noun(29 words)
acid base experimentanimal featuresapplied force diagramarabidopsis thaliana modelart and craftas demonstrated bybudgeting conceptcapturescartoonedcase examplecase study evidencecharacterize byclassical influence depictionclassroom modelingclear imageclear scientific representationclearingcommunal living modelsconceptual model sketchconcrete model
Strong matches (113)
Verb(26 words)
demonstratesdemystifydepictdepicteddepictingdepictsdescribe energy flowdiagrameddiagrammeddisplaydrawdraw a pictureegyptianizedembodiesepitomizesevidencing trendexampledexemplifiedexemplifiesexemplifying
Show 6 more words
Noun(42 words)
demonstratingdemonstrating a trenddemonstration toolsdemosdepicting actiondescribe eventsdescriptive textdesert life descriptiondiagramdiagram based exercisediagram examplediagram the plant celldiagrammingdiagramsdisplay bottledisplay datadisplay graphdistance force diagramdrawing pencilsdraws
Show 22 more words
dutch tonen 'to show'earth referencingearth system modelingenergy transfer exampleevidenced trendevidences a claimevidencing results chartexample designflashbackflow of controlflowchart sketchflowchartsfood-web linkfossil imprint shapefrench représenterfrost-heavingfully modeledgraph proceduregraph taskgraphic markinggraphing activityimage message
demythologizedenotedescentdisplaydocumentelucidateembellishemblazonembodyenlightenepitomizeeuhemerizeevidenceevinceexampleexemplifyexhibitexplainexplain awayexplicate
Show 17 more words
expositexpoundexpressfigureforeshadowfurnish evidencegive a for-instancegive indication ofgive reason forgive the meaninggo to showilluminateimageimpersonateimplyincarnateindicate
Adjective(8 words)
developmental modeldiagonal resultant forceeducational example claimegyptianizableelectrostatic pull forcegraphic tshirt designhistorical process modelillustrative diagram
Related words (187)
Adjective(13 words)
individual artist paintingliving network layoutnonregional exhibitpartial plane contactpersuasive samplephysical tracingpublic finance effectsshown color changesolid samplespontaneous sketchtangible featureterrestrial model familyworked example
Verb(37 words)
instanceinstancedlikenslimnsminiatemodeledmodelledpaint a pictureparticularizedperform experimentspicturedportrayportrayedportrayingportrayspresentprovesrepresentrepresentedrepresents
Show 17 more words
revealed pastshowshow a photoshowing evidencesimulate living systemstypifiedtypifiestypifytypify common traitsvisualisevisualisedvisualizevisualize datavisualizedvisualizesvivifiedvivifies
Noun(83 words)
isolated system modellearning examplelesson samplelife process modeledliving system modeledliving term conceptmake visiblemapsmodel behaviormodel codemodel formmodel numbersmodel organism teachingmodel population dynamicsmodel schoolmodel sentencemodel textmodeling decisions communallymodeling instruction descriptormodeling organism genetics
Show 63 more words
more evidencedmotion demonstrationmuseum drawnormal force conceptpaintpaisley patternspantomimeperfect predictorph demonstration samplepictpictographspicturespicturingplain featurepoint conceptportray variablepresent informationproject organizationproject workflowsproof from experimentsprototypesrecapitulatingrenderrenderingrendersrisk patternsample essaysample for analysissample paragraphschool showscience class lessonscience notebook drawingservesshow a chartshow and tellshowcaseshowcasesshowcasingspanish representarstorytelling qualityteaching activityteaching diagramteaching exampleteaching gridteaching itemteaching languageteaching methodsteaching model demonstrationteaching pond ecosystemteaching sampleteaching sample handouttime axis diagramto diagramto physicalizetoy network modeltrace route outputtypifyingtypifying illustrationvignettevisual taskswater cycle diagramwetland water cyclezibit
Determiner(2 words)
more ecosystem modelingmost living organism specimen
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: exemplify, account for, accurate model, acid base experiment, address.
- Sentence evidence is available for illustrate, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "illustrate".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "illustrate"
Keep "illustrate" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "illustrate" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "illustrate", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "illustrate" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
23 entriesShowing 16 of 23 words.
More specific
8 entriesCollocations
6 entriescolor illustrationdata visualizationgraphic depictionillustrative diagramillustrative examplevisual aid
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriesTranslations
29 translations across 23 languages.
Belarusian
1 entries- ілюстрава́ць verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Bulgarian
1 entries- илюстрирам verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Czech
1 entries- ilustrovat verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Dutch
1 entries- illustreren verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Esperanto
1 entries- ilustri verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Finnish
1 entries- kuvittaa verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
French
1 entries- illustrer verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Galician
1 entries- ilustrar verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
German
1 entries- illustrieren verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Hebrew
1 entries- אִיֵּר verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Hungarian
1 entries- illusztrál verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Icelandic
1 entries- myndskreyta verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Ido
1 entries- ilustrar verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Irish
1 entries- maisigh verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Italian
4 entries- descrivere verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
- esemplificare verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
- illustrare verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
- spiegare verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Portuguese
1 entries- ilustrar verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Romanian
1 entries- ilustra verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Russian
3 entries- де́лать иллюстра́ции verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
- иллюстри́ровать verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
- оформля́ть verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Spanish
1 entries- ilustrar verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Swedish
1 entries- illustrera verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Ukrainian
2 entries- проілюструва́ти verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
- ілюструва́ти verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Walloon
1 entries- enimådjî verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Welsh
1 entries- darlunio verb (to add explanatory or decoratory features)
Sample sentences
17 total sentences available.
I would like to illustrate children's books for a living.
Source: tatoeba (245895)
I will illustrate the way people use language.
Source: tatoeba (270398)
The teacher will illustrate how to do it.
Source: tatoeba (272784)
Showing 4 of 17 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "illustrate"?
Closest matches include exemplify, account for, accurate model, acid base experiment, address.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "illustrate"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.