allusion

American  

[uh-loo-zhuhn] / əˈlu ʒən /

noun

1. a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something, either directly or by implication.

   The novel's title is an allusion to Shakespeare.

2. the act of alluding; the making of a casual or indirect reference to something.

   The Bible is a fertile source of allusion in art.

3. Obsolete. a metaphor or parable.

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allusion British  

/ əˈluːʒən /

noun

1. the act of alluding

2. a passing reference; oblique or obscure mention

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allusion Cultural  

1. An indirect reference to some piece of knowledge not actually mentioned. Allusions usually come from a body of information that the author presumes the reader will know. For example, an author who writes, “She was another Helen,” is alluding to the proverbial beauty of Helen of Troy.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preallusion
  noun

Etymology

Origin of allusion

First recorded in 1540–50; Late Latin allūsiōn- (stem of allūsiō ), equivalent to allūs(us), past participle of allūdere ( see allude; al- + lūd- “play” + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

That little nod to a Dylan Thomas poem that you sneaked into your PowerPoint presentation? That was an allusion, a quick reference to something that your audience will have to already know in order to "get." An allusion often references a famous work of art or literature, or to something from your own life. For example, you might say, "I obviously am no expert at love" — an allusion to your failed relationships. The main thing to remember is that an allusion is a brief hint or a quick mention. It’s meant to bring to mind a particular subject, but it always avoids getting into it in great depth.

Example Sentences

Paz has so far emphasized the need for dialogue but not ruled out using "constitutional instruments" to end the blockade of La Paz -- an allusion to declaring a state of emergency.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

One of the pleasures here is witnessing both actors reanimate the rhythms of a long-ago conversation, their text absent the typical tidiness of a screenplay and instead an interwoven network of inflection, attitude, allusion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

And despite the fact that the story plays out less than 15 years after the end of World War II, there isn’t a single allusion to the war’s impact on the country.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

The trophy features many nods from the 60-year-old musician, including a hand-drawn “cresting wave” illustration and an arrow and mod symbol — an allusion to Vedder’s tribute to the Who on his personal guitar.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 2025

Going a bit further back, Enoch Powell’s “rivers of blood” speech, as it became known, was based on a classical allusion: “Like the Roman, I seem to see the River Tiber foaming with much blood.”

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• quotation