An illustration may make the point clear.
Source: tatoeba (27182)
Illustration
/ˌɪl.əˈstɹeɪ.ʃən/
Synonyms for "illustration" (370 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (74)
Noun(30 words)
exampleinstanceanalyze sampleanecdotesartworkbook extractcartooncartoonedcartooningcartoonscase examplecase studiescase studycase-studiescaseschaos theorychemistry demonstrationclassroom caseclassroom examplecolor drawing
Show 10 more words
concreteconcrete modelconcretely described exampleconcretesconservation of angular momentumdata patterndatapointdemonstratingdemonstrationdemonstration sample
abstractabstractionacrylic paintingallegorizationalphabetaltarpieceartblock printblueprintcasecase historycase in pointcharacteringcharacterizationchartchoreographycitationclarificationcollagecolor print
Show 13 more words
coloringconventional representationcopycrackingcross referencecycloramadance notationdaubdeciphermentdecodingdelineationdemonstrationdemythologization
Adjective(8 words)
anatomical diagramautomatic irrigation cuebehavioral democanonical exemplarclassic examplecommon instanceconcrete instancecultural exhibit
Verb(3 words)
Strong matches (111)
Noun(51 words)
depicting actiondepictiondepictionsdiagramdiagram a sentencediagram examplediagram the plant celldiagrammingdigressionsdisplaysdrawdrawingdrawingsdynamic systems modelecology model exampleeducational demonstrationejemplo prácticoenergy transfer exampleevidence itemexample design
Show 31 more words
example of manner adverbexample sentenceexample subjectexamplingexemplificationexemplo didáticoexhibitsexplanationsfestival scenefeudalism exhibitfigurefigure in chartfigure onfigure the answerfigure the totalfinedrawfollow examplefossil imprintfossil imprint patternfossil imprintedfrench exemplefrench visuelfrontispiecesgenetics demonstrationsgraphicgraphic artgraphic representationillusillustrate cyclesimage messageimages
depictiondepictmentdiagramdiptychdramadrawingeditingelucidationemblememendationencaustic cerographyencaustic paintingengravingenlightenmenteuhemerismexamineexampleexegesisexemplarexemplification
Show 24 more words
explanationexplicationexponentexpositionexpoundingfigurationfigurefinger paintingflower paintingfor instancefrescofresco paintinggenre paintinggouachegrisaillehieroglyphiciconiconographyideogramilluminationimageimageryimagingimpasto
Verb(3 words)
draw a picturegerman demonstrierengive an example
Adjective(13 words)
dutch momentdutch tekeneducational diagramexplanatory diagramgeometric figuresgood examplegraphic illustrationgraphic modelingguided examplehistorical exampleillustrative diagramillustrative eventillustrative example
Related words (185)
Noun(82 words)
include exampleingraininginstancesinstancinginstructional examplekuvilearning examplelegal conceptlesson examplelesson illustrationlinguistics conceptliving organism specimenmake a gesturemaleseetmarvellmath examplemathematical representationmineral samplemodelable examplemost physiologic
Show 62 more words
motion demonstrationmuseum drawnonmechanical examplenontext featurenull contractnumerous examplesomit sampleoutward signpage figurespaper-model schematicphotographingphysics problem examplepictpictorialspicturepicturespicturingpractical applicationpresent a casepreserve errorprototype with 3d printingproves a pointprovide an examplequalifying term examplereconstructionrelay activationrenderrepresentativerepresentingresource gap examplesamplesample of substancesay the wordscience demonstrationscience notebook drawingshowingsshowpiecessoap bubblessocial issuesoftware malfunctionspecimensstatistical examplestory featuresuffusingsupporting detailsswedish visuellteaching exampletypifyingunrelated topic exampleuse an exampleverify samplevignettevisualvisual aidvisual depictionvisual expressionvisual representationvisual toolvisualizationvivid illustrationvolume figureyeast model
instanceinterpretationitemletterlightlikenesslimninglogogramlogographmapminiaturemonochromemontagemosaicmuralmural paintingmusical notationnotationobject lessonoil painting
Show 56 more words
paintingpanoramaparticularphotographpictogrampicturepicturizationplanplateportraitureportrayalposter paintingprefigurementpresentmentprintprintingproblemprojectionprototypequotationrationalerealizationreasonreferencerelevant instancerenderingrenditionrepresentationrepresentativereproductionsamplesamplingschemascorescriptsimplificationsolutionspecimenstained glass windowstencilstill lifesyllabarysymboltablaturetableautapestrytestimonythe brushtriptychtypetypical exampleunlockingwall paintingwashwash drawingwriting
Adjective(21 words)
isolated exampleitalian esempioliving exampleliving organism specimenslogical demonstrationmayoral candidatenatural phenomena in sciencenon instructional examplenoted instanceorganized insurrection attemptphysical manifestationpictorial formpictorial representationqualitative anecdoterepresentative examplespecific examplespecific instancestatic depictiontextual exampletop case
Show 1 more word
unnumbered diagram
Determiner(1 words)
most role model
Verb(5 words)
represent clientsromanian imagineset an exampleshows evidencetypify common traits
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: example, instance, abstract, abstraction, acrylic painting.
- Sentence evidence is available for illustration, 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 "illustration".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "illustration"
Keep "illustration" 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 "illustration" 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 "illustration", 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 "illustration" 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
17 entriesShowing 16 of 17 words.
More specific
9 entriescaptioningdiagrammingengravinghistorical exampleline drawingmoral examplesketchingtextual examplewoodcut
Collocations
5 entriesbook illustrationcaptioned illustrationillustrated editionliterary illustrationtextual illustration
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
4 entriesSample sentences
14 total sentences available.
This is a superb illustration of how Emmet modified the traditional architectural designs.
Source: tatoeba (55949)
The illustration shows the deep interior.
Source: tatoeba (58309)
Here's an illustration at the top of this page.
Source: tatoeba (60552)
Showing 4 of 14 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "illustration"?
Closest matches include example, instance, abstract, abstraction, acrylic painting.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "illustration"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.