Illustrate
/ˈɪl.ə.streɪt/noun
To explain or make something clear with examples, images, or detail.
Did you know?Illustrate comes from Latin illustrāre, literally “to make bright” or “throw light on,” from in- (“in, on”) + lustrāre (“to light up, purify, make bright”), a root tied to ritual cleansing and shining brilliance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leuk-
“to shine, be bright”
Latin
Latin
lustrāre
“to light up, brighten; later, to purify by ritual”
Latin
Latin
illustrāre
“to make bright, illuminate; figuratively, to make clear”
14th Century
Middle English
illustraten
“to light up; to explain or clarify”
Modern English
English
illustrate
“to explain or make clear with examples or images”
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