apparent movement

British

noun

psychol the sensation of seeing movement when nothing actually moves in the environment, as when two neighbouring lights are switched on and off in rapid succession

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

During the night, ancient people could track time by the apparent movement of the stars from east to west, Gautschy says.

From Scientific American • Apr. 25, 2023

After no apparent movement – or clear instruction from police -- Jimenez continues reporting from the scene with one of the officers clutching his left arm.

From Fox News • May 29, 2020

The movement of bands of people across the landscape led to the apparent movement of animals on the cave walls.

From The Guardian • Dec. 12, 2019

There’s also been no apparent movement on the Gulen case.

From Slate • May 15, 2017

For a long time there was silence and no apparent movement.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023