Lewis & Short

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illustris (inl-), e (nom. sing. masc. illuster. Val. Max. 4, 1, 5; 4, 3, 11), adj. [inlustro], lighted up, clear, bright, light, lustrous (class.; esp. freq. in the trop. signif.).

  1. I. Lit.: ostendebat Carthaginem de excelso et pleno stellarum, illustri et claro quodam loco, Cic. Rep. 6, 11; cf.: tum nec nimis illustres nec vehementer obscuros locos haberi oportet, Auct. Her. 3, 19, 32: locus, Cels. 3, 6: habitare bonis et illustribus domiciliis, Cic. N. D. 2, 37, 95: balnearia, Col. 1, 6, 2: illustris et pellucida stella, Cic. Div. 1, 57, 130: radii solis, Plin. 18, 35, 78, § 344: noctes, id. 9, 16, 23, § 56: caelum, Val. Fl. 6, 528.
    Comp.: ostio et lumine illustriore, Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 5; cf.: solis candor illustrior est quam ullius ignis, Cic. N. D. 2, 15, 40: (ventus) tegulas illustriores fecit, Plaut. Rud. 1, 1, 6.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. Clear, plain, distinct, evident, manifest (syn. clarus): praeter haec, quae testata sunt et illustria, habeo multa occultiora, Cic. Fam. 11, 27, 6: his rationibus tam certis tamque illustribus, etc., id. Rep. 1, 3; cf.: illustribus igitur rebus insistis … a certis et illustrioribus cohibes assensum, id. Ac. 2, 29, 94: nec vero ita disseram de re tam illustri tamque nota, ut, etc., id. Rep. 1, 24 Mos.: factum illustre notumque omnibus, id. Verr. 2, 5, 13, § 34: visus insignis et illustris, id. N. D. 1, 2, 15 fin.: illustris oratio est, si, etc. … est enim haec pars orationis, quae rem constituat paene ante oculos … est plus aliquanto illustre quam illud dilucidum: altero fit, ut intelligamus, altero vero ut videre videamur, id. Part. Or. 6, 20: si desit illustris explanatio, propositio, etc., Quint. 9, 2, 2: instruenda est vita exemplis illustribus, Sen. Ep. 83.
    2. B. Distinguished, respectable, famous, honorable, illustrious (cf.: clarus, insignis, spectabilis, nobilissimus, celeber, inclutus): homines illustres honore ac nomine, Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 5, 18: illustrium hominum aetates et tempora persequi (shortly after: de clarorum virorum laudibus), Cic. Brut. 19, 74: illustribus in personis temporibusque, id. Rep. 2, 31 fin.: orator, id. Brut. 32, 122: poëtae, Quint. 5, 11, 36: florens et illustris adulescens, Caes. B. G. 7, 32, 4: de antiquis illustrissimus quisque pastor erat, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 6: philosophorum illustrissimi, Gell. 18, 7, 3: feminae, noble, Suet. Tib. 45; id. Calig. 36: cum illustribus provinciarum, id. Caes. 48: quorundam illustrium exsequiae, id. Tib. 32: paterfamiliae illustriore loco natus, Caes. B. G. 6, 19, 3: Themistoclis nomen est quam Solonis illustrius, Cic. Off. 1, 22, 75: vitae ratio illustrior, id. Rep. 3, 3; cf.: sunt illustriora quae publice fiunt, id. ib. 3, 12: haec vides quanto expressiora quantoque illustriora futura sint, id. Fam. 1, 7, 9: major atque illustrior res, more important, more remarkable, Caes. B. G. 7, 3, 2: causarum illustrium quascumque defendi nunc conficio orationes, Cic. de Sen. 11, 38.
      Hence, adv. (acc. to II. A.), clearly, distinctly, perspicuously (very rare; only comp. and sup.): illustrius, Cic. Fam. 10, 19, 1; id. Dom. 11, 27; Arn. 2, 44: illustrissime descripsit, Gell. 9, 13, 4.

illustro (inl-), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [illustris], to light up, make light, illuminate (class.; esp. freq. in the trop. signif.).

  1. I. Lit.: o, qua sol habitabiles Illustrat oras, maxime principum? Hor. C. 4, 14, 6: placida nocte leniter illustrante stellas, Plin. 2, 18, 16, § 80: ergastulum angustis illustratum fenestris, Col. 1, 6, 3 (but Cic. Rep. 6, 17, read lustret).
  2. II. Trop. (acc. to illustris, II. A. and B.).
    1. A. To make clear to the mind, to clear up, elucidate, illustrate, explain: ut ea consilia, quae clam essent inita contra salutem urbis, illustrarentur, Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 20; cf.: illustrantur, erumpunt omnia, id. ib. 1, 3, 6; id. Rep. 2, 18; Lucr. 1, 137: omnia illustrata, patefacta, comperta sunt per me, Cic. Cat. 3, 1, 3; 3, 9, 21; cf.: si modo id patefactum et illustratum est, id. Lael. 26, 97; and: jus obscurum et ignotum patefacere et illustrare, id. de Or. 1, 39, 177: philosophiam veterem Latinis litteris illustrare, id. Ac. 1, 1, 3; cf. id. Brut. 64, 228: illustrant eam (orationem) quasi stellae quaedam translata verba atque immutata, place in the right light, embellish, set off, adorn, id. Or. 27, 92; cf. id. Inv. 2, 15, 49: de illustranda oratione ut diceres, id. de Or. 3, 36, 144: orationem, Quint. 4, 3, 4; 8, 6, 14; 11, 1, 2.
    2. B. To render famous, renowned, illustrious: aliquem laudibus, Luccei. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 14, 1: quem Brutus cognomine suo illustravit, Plin. 34, 8, 19, § 82: familiam, Suet. Galb. 3: illustrabit, mihi crede, tuam amplitudinem hominum injuria, Cic. Fam. 1, 6, 2: humilius genus illustrasse factis, Quint. 3, 7, 10: summa quibus illustratur forum ingenia, id. 10, 1, 122; cf.: Padus poenā Phaëthontis illustratus, Plin. 3, 16, 20, § 117: vina maxime illustrata Messalae potu et salute, id. 14, 6, 8, § 69; Quint. 10, 1, 67; cf.: quid prius illustrem satiris Musaque pedestri? Hor. S. 2, 6, 17; Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 91.