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illusionary

American  
[ih-loo-zhuh-ner-ee] / ɪˈlu ʒəˌnɛr i /
Also illusional

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characterized by illusions; deceptive; misleading.


Other Word Forms

  • nonillusional adjective

Etymology

Origin of illusionary

First recorded in 1885–90; illusion + -ary

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.

All these illusionary names are what tort lawyers call attractive nuisances, enticing but dangerous.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering."

From BBC

As top computer scientists have warned us, those algorithms are capable of remarkably inexplicable mistakes and, to use the AI term of the moment, "hallucinations" — that is, seemingly reasonable results that are entirely illusionary.

From Salon

Take the leaf top, which is more a work of illusionary art than a going out top, crafted from an actual Alocasia Macrorrhiza leaf bonded with jersey.

From Los Angeles Times

The four decades of failure of this organization, with the occasional illusionary success mixed in, has left Washington basketball fans disgusted — if they care that much anymore.

From Washington Times