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Illuminate vs. Illustrate — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Illuminate and Illustrate

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Definitions

Illuminate

Light up
A flash of lightning illuminated the house
His face was illuminated by a smile

Illustrate

Provide (a book, newspaper, etc.) with pictures
The guide is illustrated with full-colour photographs

Illuminate

Decorate (a page or initial letter in a manuscript) with gold, silver, or coloured designs.

Illustrate

Serve as an example of
The World Cup illustrated what high standards our players must achieve

Illuminate

Help to clarify or explain
A most illuminating discussion
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Illustrate

To clarify or explain, as by the use of examples or comparisons
The mayor illustrated the problem with an anecdote.

Illuminate

To provide or brighten with light.

Illustrate

To serve as an example or clarification of
A story that illustrates a broader social problem.

Illuminate

To decorate or hang with lights.

Illustrate

To provide (a text) with explanatory or decorative images
Illustrated the book with colorful drawings.
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Illuminate

To make understandable; clarify
"Cleverly made attacks can ... serve to illuminate important differences between candidates" (New Republic).

Illustrate

(Obsolete) To light up; illuminate.

Illuminate

To enlighten intellectually or spiritually; enable to understand
"I greatly misdoubt the accuracy of this ... Can you illuminate me?" (Charles Darwin).

Illustrate

To present a clarification, example, or explanation.

Illuminate

To adorn (a page of a book, for example) with ornamental designs, images, or lettering in brilliant colors or precious metals.

Illustrate

(obsolete) To shed light upon.

Illuminate

To expose to or reveal by radiation.

Illustrate

(figurative) To clarify something by giving, or serving as, an example or a comparison.
We illustrate our definitions by including quotations or simple examples.

Illuminate

One who has or professes to have an unusual degree of enlightenment.

Illustrate

To provide a book or other publication with pictures, diagrams or other explanatory or decorative features.
The economics textbook was illustrated with many graphs.

Illuminate

(transitive) To shine light on something.

Illustrate

(obsolete) To give renown or honour to; to make illustrious.

Illuminate

(transitive) To decorate something with lights.

Illustrate

To make clear, bright, or luminous.
Here, when the moon illustrates all the sky.

Illuminate

To clarify or make something understandable.

Illustrate

To set in a clear light; to exhibit distinctly or conspicuously.
To prove him, and illustrate his high worth.

Illuminate

(transitive) To decorate the page of a manuscript book with ornamental designs.

Illustrate

To make clear, intelligible, or apprehensible; to elucidate, explain, or exemplify, as by means of figures, comparisons, and examples.

Illuminate

To make spectacular.

Illustrate

To adorn with pictures, as a book or a subject; to elucidate with pictures, as a history or a romance.

Illuminate

(intransitive) To glow; to light up.

Illustrate

To give renown or honor to; to make illustrious; to glorify.
Matter to me of glory, whom their hateIllustrates.

Illuminate

(intransitive) To be exposed to light.

Illustrate

Illustrated; distinguished; illustrious.
This most gallant, illustrate, and learned gentleman.

Illuminate

To direct a radar beam toward.

Illustrate

Clarify by giving an example of

Illuminate

Someone thought to have an unusual degree of enlightenment.

Illustrate

Depict with an illustration

Illuminate

(obsolete) enlightened

Illustrate

E.g., illustrate a book with drawings

Illuminate

To make light; to throw light on; to supply with light, literally or figuratively; to brighten.

Illuminate

To light up; to decorate with artificial lights, as a building or city, in token of rejoicing or respect.

Illuminate

To adorn, as a book or page with borders, initial letters, or miniature pictures in colors and gold, as was done in manuscripts of the Middle Ages.

Illuminate

To make plain or clear; to dispel the obscurity to by knowledge or reason; to explain; to elucidate; as, to illuminate a text, a problem, or a duty.

Illuminate

To light up in token or rejoicing.

Illuminate

Enlightened.

Illuminate

One who is enlightened; esp., a pretender to extraordinary light and knowledge.

Illuminate

Make lighter or brighter;
This lamp lightens the room a bit

Illuminate

Make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear;
Could you clarify these remarks?
Clear up the question of who is at fault

Illuminate

Add embellishments and paintings to (medieval manuscripts)

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