illustrative

/ˈɪləstrətɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈlʌstrətɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /i-ˈlə-strə-tiv also ˈi-lə-ˌstrā-/ (ame, mw)

illustrative — adjective

  • illustrativepositive
  • more illustrativecomparative
  • most illustrativesuperlative

1. providing examples or specific details that help make an idea, situation, or pro

1.形容詞B2
釋義

providing examples or specific details that help make an idea, situation, or process clearer and easier to understand

例句

Professor Umi used several illustrative diagrams to explain how the solar system formed.

illustrative + noun (diagrams) — attributive use

The case study was highly illustrative of the unexpected problems that small farms face during droughts.

be illustrative of + noun phrase — predicative use

同義詞
  • explanatory

    broader than 'illustrative'; covers anything that makes something clear, not necessarily through examples

  • demonstrative

    stronger emphasis on proving or showing through action or evidence; often implies direct proof

  • descriptive

    focuses on giving a detailed account of something rather than helping explain its meaning

反義詞
  • confusing

    makes something harder rather than easier to understand

  • misleading

    gives a false or distorted picture instead of a clear one

文法句型

illustrative + noun

be illustrative of + noun

serve an illustrative purpose

用法筆記

Common in academic and professional writing. The predicative pattern 'be illustrative of + noun' is especially frequent in formal analysis and research contexts.

常見錯誤

❌This graph is illustrative for the trend.
✅This graph is illustrative of the trend.
💡The correct preposition after 'illustrative' is 'of', not 'for'.
❌The story is very illustrative by itself.
✅The story is very illustrative of life in the village.
💡'Illustrative' typically needs an object linked by 'of' to show what it clarifies.