pareidolia

[ pair-ahy-doh-lee-uh, pair-uh- ]

noun

1. the illusory perception of meaningful patterns or images of familiar things in random or amorphous data, as a face seen on the moon.

pareidolia

/ ˌpæraɪˈdəʊlɪə /

noun

1. the imagined perception of a pattern or meaning where it does not actually exist, as in considering the moon to have human features

Word History and Origins

Origin of pareidolia¹

First recorded in 1960–65; from German Pareidolien, plural of Pareidolie, equivalent to par(a)- ¹( def ) + eidol(on) ( def ) + -ia ( def ), reinterpreted as a singular noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pareidolia¹

C20: from para- ⁴+ eidolon