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.
The path from dictatorship to democracy is fraught, but with the illusion broken and the people empowered, freedom is finally within reach.
By the time of his death, Mitrokhin had no remaining illusions that his actions had changed his country’s course.
“This is not the end of capitalism, democracy, or markets. What is ending is the illusion that they operate uniformly across space and time,” they say.
From MarketWatch
As a result, they fear they will not be able to repeat their achievements and worry that others will eventually see through what they perceive as an illusion.
From Science Daily
Even crime in Orange County has been sensationalized and glamorized, with themes veneered by opulence, secrecy and illusions of suburban perfection.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
