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Synonyms

illusionist

American  
[ih-loo-zhuh-nist] / ɪˈlu ʒə nɪst /

noun

  1. a conjurer or magician who creates illusions, as by sleight of hand.

  2. an adherent of illusionism.

illusionist British  
/ ɪˈluːʒənɪst /

noun

  1. a person given to illusions; visionary; dreamer

  2. philosophy a person who believes in illusionism

  3. an artist who practises illusionism

  4. a conjuror; magician

"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

Other Word Forms

  • illusionistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of illusionist

First recorded in 1835–45; illusion + -ist

Explanation

An illusionist is a magician, a person who performs stage magic to entertain audiences. The teenager on the sidewalk who does amazing card tricks for tips is an illusionist. Harry Houdini might be the most famous illusionist, specializing in escaping from what appeared to be impossible situations like being handcuffed and submerged in water. Other illusionists stick to pulling rabbits out of hats and quarters out of kids' ears. The earliest meaning of illusionist was "one who suffers from illusions," though it soon came to mean "one who creates illusions." The Latin root, illudere, means "to mock" or "to play at."

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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.

Jareth is an illusionist as beguiling and seductive as he is sinister, caressing bubbles and gravity-defiant glass spheres with liquid grace.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

What they sacrifice in illusionist power, they gain in freedom.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025

An illusionist is returning to the "birth place" of his magic act for a new tour.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2025

One of the greatest magic tricks I ever saw unfolded when Johnny Carson invited the illusionist Uri Geller on “The Tonight Show” to bend a spoon with his mind.

From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2024

After the illusionist takes her bow and disappears before her rapt audience’s eyes, they clap, applauding the empty air.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

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.