optical illusion

American  

noun

1. illusion4

---

optical illusion British  

noun

1. an object causing a false visual impression

2. an instance of deception by such an object

---

Etymology

Origin of optical illusion

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

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

Pilots often experience an optical illusion of a passing object that can make it appear to be traveling at great speed even if it is barely moving, officials have said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

Stormont officials have commissioned consultants to help address an "optical illusion" along a Belfast footpath that has caused pedestrians to trip and fall.

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