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

• 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

Allusion in the previous episode to the scorpion and frog fable?

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

If we were playing Literary Allusion Bingo, one of us would already have five across, but we’ve still got a long night ahead.

From Washington Post • Sep. 5, 2017

This is a movie that invites you to play a game of Name That Allusion, with Dean, Leone and so forth.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 8, 2015

This is a movie that, after all, invites you to play a game of Name That Allusion, with Dean, Leone and so forth.

From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2014

Allusion was made to a younger brother, named Daniel, who was brought up by an artist, a painter, Richard Hearn, a brother of Charles Bush Hearn, who lived in Paris.

From Concerning Lafcadio Hearn With a Bibliography by Laura Stedman by Gould, George M. (George Milbrey)

Related Words

• quotation