illusion
Americannoun
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something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality.
- Synonyms:
- chimera, fantasy, aberration
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the state or condition of being deceived; misapprehension.
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an instance of being deceived.
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Psychology. a perception, as of visual stimuli optical illusion, that represents what is perceived in a way different from the way it is in reality.
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a very thin, delicate tulle of silk or nylon having a cobwebbed appearance, for trimmings, veilings, and the like.
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Obsolete. the act of deceiving; deception; delusion.
noun
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a false appearance or deceptive impression of reality
the mirror gives an illusion of depth
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a false or misleading perception or belief; delusion
he has the illusion that he is really clever
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psychol a perception that is not true to reality, having been altered subjectively in some way in the mind of the perceiver See also hallucination
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a very fine gauze or tulle used for trimmings, veils, etc
Related Words
illusion, hallucination, delusion refer to false perceptions or ideas. An illusion is a false mental image produced by misinterpretation of things that actually exist: A mirage is an illusion produced by reflection of light against the sky. A hallucination is a perception of a thing or quality that has no physical counterpart: Under the influence of LSD, Terry had hallucinations that the living-room floor was rippling. A delusion is a persistent false belief: A paranoiac has delusions of persecution.
Other Word Forms
- illusionary adjective
- illusioned adjective
Etymology
Origin of illusion
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English from Latin illūsiōn- (stem of illūsiō ) “irony, mocking,” equivalent to illūs(us), past participle of illūdere “to mock, ridicule” ( il- il- 1 + lūd- play ( ludicrous ) + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He's a 16-year veteran of the war on drugs, standing ram rod straight, with a handgun in a holster around his neck - and with no illusions.
From BBC
Wash trading is a practice in which traders move assets back and forth to create the illusion of genuine activity.
That ownership created an illusion of safety — not because prices could not fall, but because investors assumed liquidity would always be available.
From MarketWatch
The latter is notable for its off-center, diagonal composition, which creates the illusion that the space of the painting and that of the church are one.
Such loveliness as he had seen was an illusion.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
