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

Clips of his comment circulated widely on social media as if it were an allusion to abuse, and Flavio Bolsonaro accused Lula of being "sexist."

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

An intentional allusion wouldn’t be unprecedented for the administration.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

Ms. Stevens, who spent the campaign avoiding the subject of Mr. El-Sayed’s not-quite-spoken animus, last week ventured a diagonal allusion to it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

“A move away from the layered, the blobby, the clean — to something with more illusion of or allusion to an id.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026

I felt a burning glow mount to my face; for bitter and agitating recollections were awakened by the allusion to marriage.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Famous “Bills” are all about: Zane, Shakespeare, Wonka, and “Bill-bo Baggins,” along with allusions to “canceled Bills” like Cosby and Clinton.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

Much of the set’s lyrical content evokes nostalgia and longing and is written, as so much traditional roots music is, from the viewpoint of those living within the culture, including work jargon and local allusions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 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

The discussion of Mr. Collins’s offer was now nearly at an end, and Elizabeth had only to suffer from the uncomfortable feelings necessarily attending it, and occasionally from some peevish allusions of her mother.

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

Related Words

• quotation