allusion

American  

[uh-loo-zhuhn] / əˈlu ʒən /

noun

allusions plural

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• allusions
  plural

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

See Examples For:

allusion allusions

The cat’s “puppy-like confidence” is as close as Jill gets to any canine allusion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026

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

He might hope the odd allusion jogs a memory; no more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

The allusion to economic justifications for the Confederacy’s inhumane cruelty is mocked and transformed, while also implying the process as Black reparation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2025

General Peckem chuckled with jaunty relish and sailed smoothly along toward a favorite learned allusion.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Wildly digressive, buzzing with literary allusions and telling its story as a 20th-century Shakespearean tragedy, the book has some of the mad, restless energy of Sellers himself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026

Sports fans, however, will find specific allusions, like contentious press conferences and even the kiss cam.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2026

"It touched on so much in terms of thematic material and musical material," Kehrer said, pointing to the allusions to decolonization and use of traditional Puerto Rican rhythms.

From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026

I am always impressed with his biblical allusions, apt and unforced.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025

The recorded songs of the humpback whale, filled with tensions and resolutions, ambiguities and allusions, incomplete, can be listened to as a part of music, like an isolated section of an orchestra.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Related Words

• quotation