illusion

noun

il·lu·sion i-ˈlü-zhən

plural illusions

Synonyms of illusion next

a(1)

: a misleading image presented to the vision : optical illusion

(2)

: something that deceives or misleads intellectually

b(1)

: perception of something objectively existing in such a way as to cause misinterpretation of its actual nature

(2)

: hallucination sense 1

(3)

: a pattern capable of reversible perspective

a(1)

: the state or fact of being intellectually deceived or misled : misapprehension

(2)

: an instance of such deception

obsolete : the action of deceiving

: a fine plain transparent bobbinet or tulle usually made of silk and used for veils, trimmings, and dresses

illusional

i-ˈlü-zh(ə-)nəl

adjective

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Allusion and Illusion

Allusion and illusion may share some portion of their ancestry (both words come in part from the Latin word ludere, meaning “to play”), and sound quite similar, but they are distinct words with very different meanings. An allusion is an indirect reference, whereas an illusion is something that is unreal or incorrect. Each of the nouns has a related verb form: allude “to refer indirectly to,” and illude (not a very common word), which may mean “to delude or deceive” or “to subject to an illusion.”

Choose the Right Synonym for illusion

delusion, illusion, hallucination, mirage mean something that is believed to be true or real but that is actually false or unreal.

delusion implies an inability to distinguish between what is real and what only seems to be real, often as the result of a disordered state of mind.

delusions of persecution

illusion implies a false ascribing of reality based on what one sees or imagines.

an illusion of safety

hallucination implies impressions that are the product of disordered senses, as because of mental illness or drugs.

suffered from terrifying hallucinations

mirage in its extended sense applies to an illusory vision, dream, hope, or aim.

claimed a balanced budget is a mirage

Examples of illusion in a Sentence

The video game is designed to give the illusion that you are in control of an airplane. They used paint to create the illusion of metal. She says that all progress is just an illusion.

Recent Examples on the Web The Fraud by Zadie Smith Buy on Bookshop Penguin Press, 464 pp., $29.00 Each of Smith’s characters is wary of fakes, counterfeits, and illusions. —

Lynn Steger Strong, The New Republic, 15 Sep. 2023 But the notion that the studios are fully occupied through 2030 is an illusion. —

Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023 Larsson becomes a master of illusion and confusion to create a movie where what the audience assumes up to a certain point about the furniture store and its occupants must be completely reappraised at the end of Mother Couch. —

Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023 Wet and Trendy: The fashion world has long been fascinated with the natural world, but the love affair poses one major challenge: how to create the illusion of wetness. —

Yael Goldstein-Love, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2023 Big photographic backdrops, similar to the ones used in Suits, create the illusion of the cabin's window views. —

Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 7 Sep. 2023 Darkening the tiny, fine hairs in and around your eyebrows helps create the illusion of thicker, fuller, and longer brows. —

Audrey Noble, Harper's BAZAAR, 6 Sep. 2023 The shipboard presence of classical ballet certainly reinforced an illusion of timeless enchantment. —

Peter Marks, Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2023 There’s a set piece, for instance, in which an actor playing Joel will trigger a series of lighting and sound effects to create the illusion of firing an arrow into an enemy’s chest. —

Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'illusion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin illusion-, illusio, from Latin, action of mocking, from illudere to mock at, from in- + ludere to play, mock — more at ludicrous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Time Traveler

The first known use of illusion was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century