illusion Hear it!

illusion Definition

il·lu·sion (i lo̵̅o̅′z̸hən)

noun

  1. a false idea or conception; belief or opinion not in accord with the facts
  2. an unreal, deceptive, or misleading appearance or image a large mirror giving the illusion of space in a small room
    1. a false perception, conception, or interpretation of what one sees, where one is, etc.
    2. the misleading image resulting in such a false impression
  4. hallucination
  5. a delicate, gauzy silk tulle used for veils, etc.

Etymology: ME illusioun < OFr illusion < L illusio, a mocking (in LL(Ec), deceit, illusion) < illusus, pp. of illudere, to mock, play with < in-, on + ludere, to play: see ludicrous

illusion Related Forms

il·lu′·sional adjective or il·lu′·sion·ar′y

illusion Synonyms

illusion

n.

  1. Unreal appearance

    fancy, hallucination, mirage, apparition, ghost, chimera, delusion, deception, fantasy, figment of the imagination, dream, vision, phantasm, image, trick of vision, optical illusion, myth, make-believe, déjà vu (French), paramnesia, castle in Spain, will-o'-the-wisp, ignis fatuus (Latin); see also dream 1, fantasy 2, vision 3, 4.

  2. Misconception

    delusion, confusion, false impression; see mistake 2, misunderstanding 1.

illusion suggests the false perception or interpretation of something that has objective existence perspective in drawing gives the illusion of depth; delusion implies belief in something that is contrary to fact or reality, resulting from deception, a misconception, or a mental disorder to have delusions of grandeur; hallucination implies the apparent perception, in nervous or mental disorder, of something external that is actually not present; mirage refers to an optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions, and, in figurative use, implies an unrealizable hope or aspiration

illusion Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • grandeur: Or may be the school had illusions of grandeur.
  • reality: For Polanski calls all belief into question by continually manipulating the film's illusion of reality.
  • depth: The tiles are in fact a flat ' painting ' that gives the illusion of depth.
  • separation: With the inner stillness and peace of the Druid path you can once again connect with God as you dissolve any illusions of separation.
  • continuity: So, you are clinging to an illusion of continuity.
  • consciousness: Unanswered questions include what remains of consciousness without memes, and whether artificial meme machines can ever transcend the illusion of self consciousness.

Converse of object

  • shatter: The deep split over the war on Iraq shattered any illusions in a common position on really decisive foreign issues.
  • dispel: He knows nothing he says can dispel the illusions created by randomness, and that he is as susceptible to them as anyone.
  • sow: With the obvious coming betrayal of the leaders the slogan only served to sow illusions.
  • create: To Create An Illusion of Sound Cast by Phoebe Make him hear what isn't there.
  • foster: Naturally, such ' artistic struggle ' fosters illusions in a ' politics of opposition ' that bypasses class struggle.
  • harbor: We can harbor no illusions - and that's important today to remember.

Adjective modifier

  • optical: Optical Illusion - John Langdon, 1999 Can you see why this painting is called optical illusion?
  • shattered: An accompanying editorial [ 3 ] speaks of " shattered illusions " .
  • tychonic: Howard Margolis ( 1998 ) Tychonic Illusions: Hard vs. Easy.
  • comforting: Why give anyone the right to their comforting illusions?
  • cherished: It is truly extraordinary how facts can be ignored in the need to confirm and strengthen cherished illusions.
  • grand: Similarly, the grand illusion cultivated by the new stores was one of egalitarianism.

Noun used with modifier

  • continuity: In addition, the data indicate that the neural mechanisms involved in vowel identification receive an input from those responsible for the continuity illusion.
  • waterfall: An early, personal level application of the notion comes in Tim Crane's paper on the waterfall illusion ( Crane 1988a ).