Illustration of illusion
- a and b are equal in length
illusion
noun
il·lu·sion
i-ˈlü-zhən 
plural illusions
1
a(1)
: a misleading image presented to the vision : optical illusion
a technique that creates the illusion of space
(2)
: something that deceives or misleads intellectually
the statements with their supposed profits were all an illusion
(3)
: an illusory effect created by a sleight-of-hand performer or a magician
b(1)
: perception of something objectively existing in such a way as to cause misinterpretation of its actual nature
(2)
(3)
: a pattern capable of reversible perspective
2
a(1)
: the state or fact of being intellectually deceived or misled : misapprehension
was under the illusion that he was the best player
(2)
: an instance of such deception
had/harbored no illusions about the difficulty of the task
b
obsolete
: the action of deceiving
3
: a fine plain transparent bobbinet or tulle usually made of silk and used for veils, trimmings, and dresses
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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.”
Synonyms of illusion
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
Forms’ signature gem-setting technique, which secures each stone on an almost invisible frame, creates the illusion that the gems are floating.
—
Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
While Goodman’s paradoxes and fantasies posed challenges to me as her biographer, with the advent of AI slop and ChatGPT, our courtship with illusion (and possibly delusion) is here to stay.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Shades of green, blue, and even purple can create the illusion that your porch is just a continuation of the outside world.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
And while an optimistic sort, El Tipo Este harbors few illusions.
—Bill Kopp, SPIN, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for illusion
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
While Goodman’s paradoxes and fantasies posed challenges to me as her biographer, with the advent of AI slop and ChatGPT, our courtship with illusion (and possibly delusion) is here to stay.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Shades of green, blue, and even purple can create the illusion that your porch is just a continuation of the outside world.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
And while an optimistic sort, El Tipo Este harbors few illusions.
—Bill Kopp, SPIN, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for illusion
Cite this Entry
“Illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illusion. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
illusion
noun
il·lu·sion
il-ˈü-zhən
1
: a misleading image presented to the eye
2
: the state or fact of being led to accept as true something unreal or imagined
3
: a mistaken idea
Medical Definition
illusion
noun
il·lu·sion
il-ˈü-zhən
1
: a misleading image presented as a visual stimulus
2
a
: perception of something objectively existing in such a way as to cause misinterpretation of its actual nature
especially
: optical illusion compare delusion sense 2
c
: a pattern capable of reversible perspective
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
