illustrative
adjective
il·lus·tra·tive
i-ˈlə-strə-tiv 
also
ˈi-lə-ˌstrā-
: serving, tending, or designed to illustrate
illustrative examples
art that is illustrative of provincial life
illustratively
adverb
Examples of illustrative in a Sentence
an illustrative analogy in which the relationship between God and humanity is likened to that between a shepherd and his flock
Recent Examples on the Web
These are just illustrative examples using the existing plans and may not be representative, given that Republicans are considering creating a new IDR plan without any student loan forgiveness.
—
Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
Still, there was something illustrative about all the confusion and the way Carpenter’s act became a kind of Rorschach test.
—Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025
Disclosures and Disclaimers: Above information is for illustrative purposes only and has been obtained from reliable sources but no guarantee is made with regard to accuracy or completeness.
—David Thomas, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
The three prosecutors’ approaches are illustrative of the tensions and political climate surrounding the death penalty in California and elsewhere, said political scientist Austin Sarat, a death penalty opponent who has studied the issue at Amherst College in Massachusetts.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illustrative
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.
Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
Still, there was something illustrative about all the confusion and the way Carpenter’s act became a kind of Rorschach test.
—Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025
Disclosures and Disclaimers: Above information is for illustrative purposes only and has been obtained from reliable sources but no guarantee is made with regard to accuracy or completeness.
—David Thomas, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
The three prosecutors’ approaches are illustrative of the tensions and political climate surrounding the death penalty in California and elsewhere, said political scientist Austin Sarat, a death penalty opponent who has studied the issue at Amherst College in Massachusetts.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illustrative
Cite this Entry
“Illustrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illustrative. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
illustrative
adjective
il·lus·tra·tive
il-ˈəs-trət-iv
: serving or meant to illustrate
illustrative examples
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share