optical illusion
Americannoun
noun
-
an object causing a false visual impression
-
an instance of deception by such an object
Etymology
Origin of optical illusion
First recorded in 1785–95
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 misplaced foot is something of an optical illusion, due mainly to Trumbull’s less than masterful drawing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
It is actually something of an optical illusion — for the options are not getting more expensive in terms of price as the earnings date approaches, but are remaining the same.
From MarketWatch ● May 14, 2026
By presenting Satan's fall as a violent physical event instead of a purely spiritual allegory or optical illusion, Dante may have helped move Western thought toward the idea that celestial objects can directly reshape Earth.
From Science Daily ● May 11, 2026
Roads officials said an "optical illusion appeared to have been created when the footway was extended next to the cycle lane".
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2025
She had lost weight and at first I thought she might have grown, because she looked taller, but then I realized it was just an optical illusion, the effect of my own shrinking.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
