English → Latin
“illustration” in Latin
explicātiōThe act of unfolding or unrolling.; An explanation, explication, exposition.lūxlight (of the sun, stars etc.); daylight, day, moonlight; life
The English word illustration itself goes back to Latin lūstrō, through illūstrātiō.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
illustration
explicatio: ☞ illustratio is only another term for lively representation; Cic., ap. Quint., 6, 23, 32. Often circumlocution by lucem or lumen alicui rei afferre dare alicui rei lumen.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for illustration?
- The usual Latin words for “illustration” are explicātiō, lūx. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.