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
(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)
(3)
: a pattern capable of reversible perspective
2
a(1)
: the state or fact of being intellectually deceived or misled : misapprehension
(2)
: an instance of such deception
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
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
This ‘80s silhouette, which cinches at the waist but leaves volume across the shoulders and flares at the hip, creates the illusion of an exaggerated hourglass figure, immediately adding shape back into Jenner’s otherwise loose-fitting ensemble.
—
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 27 Jan. 2025
The pyramid functioned as an enormous calendar and was designed so that, on the equinoxes, the play of sunlight and shadow would create the illusion of a snake descending to Earth.
—John Newton, AFAR Media, 24 Jan. 2025
The spliced cuffs frame her wrists, while the cutout, angular hem creates the illusion of longer legs.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 24 Jan. 2025
This lack of day-to-day oversight allows Starfleet to preserve the illusion of plausible deniability.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for illusion 
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Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 27 Jan. 2025
The pyramid functioned as an enormous calendar and was designed so that, on the equinoxes, the play of sunlight and shadow would create the illusion of a snake descending to Earth.
—John Newton, AFAR Media, 24 Jan. 2025
The spliced cuffs frame her wrists, while the cutout, angular hem creates the illusion of longer legs.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 24 Jan. 2025
This lack of day-to-day oversight allows Starfleet to preserve the illusion of plausible deniability.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for illusion
Dictionary Entries Near illusion
Cite this Entry
“Illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illusion. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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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