Word
illustrious
Phoneticsil·lus·tri·ous, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɪˈɫəstɹiəs/
UK/ɪlˈʌstɹɪəs/
Definition
adj. very famous and respected because of great achievements. You use this to describe someone with a long, successful career.
adj. highly distinguished, renowned, or eminent. Often describes a career, history, or person of significant accomplishment.
Examples
“She enjoyed an illustrious career as a concert pianist.”
“The university is proud of its illustrious alumni, which include several Nobel Prize winners and world leaders.”
“After decades of public service, the senator retired with an illustrious reputation for integrity and bipartisan cooperation.”
Examples
simple
“She enjoyed an illustrious career as a concert pianist.”
contextual
“The university is proud of its illustrious alumni, which include several Nobel Prize winners and world leaders.”
complex
“After decades of public service, the senator retired with an illustrious reputation for integrity and bipartisan cooperation.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before a noun; often pairs with 'career', 'history', or 'reputation'.
Real-World Examples
“Will Alves, Joseph and Sammy Braybrooke started and looked the most adept in difficult circumstances, while their more illustrious colleagues hid from battle.” “Tómas Magnússon had the home fans dreaming of a famous win over their illustrious opponents after firing in the opener in the 77th minute.” Etymology
From Latin illūstris (“bright, shining; distinguished, prominent, illustrious”) + -ous (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, to denote possession or presence of a quality in any degree). Illūstris is derived from illūstrō (“to brighten, illuminate; to make famous or illustrious”), from in- (“in, inside”) + lūstrō (“to purify by making a sacrifice; to brighten, illuminate”) (from lūstrō (“purificatory sacrifice”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lewk- (“bright; to shine”) or lewh₃- (“to wash”)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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