Definitions for Illusion
ɪˈlu ʒənil·lu·sion

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.3 / 3 votes

1. illusion, semblancenoun

   an erroneous mental representation

2. illusion, fantasy, phantasy, fancynoun

   something many people believe that is false

   "they have the illusion that I am very wealthy"

3. delusion, illusion, head gamenoun

   the act of deluding; deception by creating illusory ideas

4. magic trick, conjuring trick, trick, magic, legerdemain, conjuration, thaumaturgy, illusion, deceptionnoun

   an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. illusionnoun

   Anything that seems to be something that it is not.

2. illusionnoun

   A misapprehension; a belief in something that is in fact not true.

   Jane has this illusion that John is in love with her.

3. illusionnoun

   A magician's trick.

4. illusionnoun

   The fact of being an illusion (in any of the above senses).

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Illusionnoun

   Mockery; false show; counterfeit appearance; errour.

   Etymology: illusio, Latin; illusion, Fr.

   That, distill'd by magick slights,
   Shall raise such artificial sprights,
   As, by the strength of their illusion,
   Shall draw him on to his confusion. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   There wanted not some about him that would have persuaded him that all was but an illusion. Francis Bacon, Henry VII.

   So oft they fell
   Into the same illusion; not as man,
   Whom they triumph'd, once laps'd. John Milton, Parad. Lost.

   An excuse for uncharitableness, drawn from pretended inability, is of all others the most general and prevailing illusion. Francis Atterbury, Sermons.

   Many are the illusions by which the enemy endeavours to cheat men into security, and defeat their title to salvation. John Rogers, Sermons.

   To dream once more I close my willing eyes;
   Ye soft illusions, dear deceits, arise! Alexander Pope.

   We must use some illusion to render a pastoral delightful; and this consists in exposing the best side only of a shepherd's life, and in concealing its miseries. Alexander Pope.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Illusionnoun

   an unreal image presented to the bodily or mental vision; a deceptive appearance; a false show; mockery; hallucination

2. Illusionnoun

   hence: Anything agreeably fascinating and charning; enchantment; witchery; glamour

3. Illusionnoun

   a sensation originated by some external object, but so modified as in any way to lead to an erroneous perception; as when the rolling of a wagon is mistaken for thunder

4. Illusionnoun

   a plain, delicate lace, usually of silk, used for veils, scarfs, dresses, etc

FreebaseRate this definition:4.0 / 2 votes

1. Illusion

   An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may occur with more of the human senses than vision, but visual illusions, optical illusions, are the most well known and understood. The emphasis on visual illusions occurs because vision often dominates the other senses. For example, individuals watching a ventriloquist will perceive the voice is coming from the dummy since they are able to see the dummy mouth the words. Some illusions are based on general assumptions the brain makes during perception. These assumptions are made using organizational principles, like Gestalt, an individual's ability of depth perception and motion perception, and perceptual constancy. Other illusions occur because of biological sensory structures within the human body or conditions outside of the body within one’s physical environment. The term illusion refers to a specific form of sensory distortion. Unlike a hallucination, which is a distortion in the absence of a stimulus, an illusion describes a misinterpretation of a true sensation. For example, hearing voices regardless of the environment would be a hallucination, whereas hearing voices in the sound of running water would be an illusion.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Illusion

   il-lū′zhun, n. a playing upon: a mocking: deceptive appearance: false show: error.—n. Illū′sionist, one who is subject to illusions: one who produces illusions, as sleight-of-hand tricks, for entertainment.—adjs. Illū′sive, Illū′sory, deceiving by false appearances: false.—adv. Illū′sively.—n. Illū′siveness. [See Illude.]

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. illusion

   Song lyrics by illusion -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by illusion on the Lyrics.com website.

2. Illusion

   Illusion vs. Delusion -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Illusion and Delusion.

3. Illusion

   Allusion vs. Illusion -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Allusion and Illusion.

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Illusion' in Nouns Frequency: #2618

How to pronounce Illusion?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Illusion in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Illusion in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Illusion in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of Illusion in a Sentence

1. Marguerite Duras:

   No other human being, no woman, no poem or music, book or painting can replace alcohol in its power to give man the illusion of real creation.

2. George Sand:

   I regard as a mortal sin not only the lying of the senses in matters of love, but also the illusion which the senses seek to create where love is only partial. I say, I believe, that one must love with all of one's being, or else live, come what may, a life of complete chastity.

3. George Santayana:

   Love is only half the illusion the lover, but not his love, is deceived.

4. H.W. Mann:

   Separation is an illusion, we are all in this together

5. Andrea Grignolio:

   Italy is part of a global trend of distrust in mediators -- doctors and scientists -- who can interpret and explain data, with the advent of the Internet, people have the illusion they can access and read data by themselves, removing the need for technical and scientific knowledge.

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