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.
At the slightest hint that your ordeal is about to end, you immediately project all your hopes and dreams onto that illusion.
He is deeply worried about “labor displacement” but overall concludes it’s just too early to say whether AI is “a fad or an illusion.”
From MarketWatch
He is deeply worried about “labor displacement” but overall, concludes it’s just too early to say whether AI is “a fad or an illusion”.
From MarketWatch
These valuations often lag the public markets by months and can be smoothed, giving the illusion of stability.
From MarketWatch
I don’t believe anyone, including Mayweather and Pacquiao, is under the illusion that this fight will be good, but this fight wasn’t booked to be good.
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.
