Something that's illustrious is well known or famous, leaving a trail of glory in its wake. An illustrious career, for example, is full of impressive achievements and celebrated contributions to society.
Coming from the Latin illustris, meaning “bright, distinguished, famous,” illustrious is a powerful adjective. It's similar to luster, which is a brilliant shine — so imagine that something illustrious is as wonderful as a sparkling diamond. Use this word to describe the career or reputation of someone really successful, like a bestselling author or business mogul.
Get Word of the Day delivered straight to your inbox!
After receiving a curse that causes her to slowly transform into a demon with a deadly touch, Miuko embarks on a quest to find a cure so that she can return to her normal life.
To illustrate his thesis that math is the foundation of human progress, Alex Bellos details achievements throughout time and cultures.
This nonfiction book recounts the story of how a 245 BCE sea journey from Athens to Alexandria inspired Eratosthenes of Cyrene to contemplate the stars and measure the distance around the earth.
Softball player Shenice tries to lead her team to the championships while investigating a family mystery.
In this magical realist novel, two teens forge a bond after they are both victims of violence.
Our definitions were written by humans, for humans. Each word has a friendly explanation that makes it easy to remember.
Discover thousands of example sentences from current newspapers, magazines, and literature.
Find the word you’re looking for faster than any other online dictionary. That’s less time searching, more time learning.
Boost your test score with programs developed by Vocabulary.com’s experts.