Illustrious – Well known, respected and admired for past achievements

(Pronounced il-luhs-tree-uhs)

To remember the definition of the word illustrious, use the following mnemonic:

Illustrations of industrious (illustrious) and well-known people are often used because they are respected and admired for their past achievements.

Examples of illustrious in a sentence

The fund raising event was a huge success, numerous illustrious people attended and donated very generously.

She came from a very academic and  illustrious family, which put a tremendous amount of pressure on her during her final university exams. 

He hoped his latest film would launch him into an illustrious career as a director, but it was ridiculed by critics and failed to make a profit.