illusionist
Americannoun
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a conjurer or magician who creates illusions, as by sleight of hand.
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an adherent of illusionism.
noun
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a person given to illusions; visionary; dreamer
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philosophy a person who believes in illusionism
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an artist who practises illusionism
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a conjuror; magician
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of illusionist
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."
Vocabulary lists containing illusionist
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.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, illusionist David Copperfield has created one of the most extravagant celebrity island retreats of them all.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
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
After Anderson's death, famed illusionist Houdini travelled to Aberdeen, visited his fellow entertainer's grave, and even started to pay for its upkeep.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2025
The illusionist was silent for her entire performance, though he had not noticed it at the time.
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.
