Word.ws English Dictionary

illustrated

Syllables: il·lus·trated/ˈɪləstɹeɪtɪd/

illustrated is the simple past and past participle of illustrate.

Meaning of illustrate

Verb

illustrate (third-person singular simple present illustrates, present participle illustrating, simple past and past participle illustrated)

  1. (figuratively) To clarify something by giving, or serving as, an example or a comparison.
    • We illustrate our definitions by including quotations or simple examples.
  2. To provide a book or other publication with pictures, diagrams or other explanatory or decorative features.
    • The economics textbook was illustrated with many graphs.
  3. (obsolete) To shed light upon.
    • Here, when the morn illustrates all the sky.1614–1615, Homer, “(please specify the book number)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615...
  4. (obsolete) To give renown or honour to; to make illustrious.
    • Matter to me of glory, whom their hate / Illustrates.1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished...
    Synonyms:
    glorify

Adjective

illustrated (comparative more illustrated, superlative most illustrated)

  1. Containing illustrations.

Noun

illustrated (plural illustrateds)

  1. (historical) A newspaper featuring illustrations.
    • Siegfried Kracauer was to be a particularly vocal critic in the twenties of the shift in perception brought on by the illustrateds.1996, Stephen C. Foster, Crisis and the Arts, page 113

Forms of illustrated

Adjective
comparativemore illustrated
superlativemost illustrated
Noun
pluralillustrateds

Words formed from illustrated

Phrases with illustrated

Questions about illustrated

What does illustrated mean?
Illustrated means containing illustrations.
What is illustrated the simple past and past participle of?
Illustrated is the simple past and past participle of illustrate.
What part of speech is illustrated?
Illustrated can be an adjective or a noun.
How do you pronounce illustrated?
Illustrated is pronounced /ˈɪləstɹeɪtɪd/.

Words near illustrated in the dictionary

  1. illust.
  2. illuster
  3. illustrable
  4. illustratable
  5. illustrate
  6. illustrated
  7. illustrated song
  8. illustrated songs
  9. illustrateds
  10. illustrates
  11. illustrateth

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: illustrated (page history and authors); illustrate (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-illustrated.wav.

Cite this entry: “illustrated.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/illustrated. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.