illusion

From Old French illusion, from Latin illūsiō, from illūdere, from in- (“at, upon”) + lūdere (“to play, mock, trick”). Displaced native Old English dwimmer.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪˈl(j)uːʒ(ə)n/
• (General American) enPR: ĭ-lo͞o'zhən, IPA^(key): [ɪˈluː.ʒən]
• (Conservative RP) IPA^(key): /ɪˈl(j)uːzj(ə)n/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːʒən

illusion (countable and uncountable, plural illusions)

1. (countable) Anything that seems to be something that it is not.

   We saw what looked like a tiger among the trees, but it was an illusion caused by the shadows of the branches.

   Using artificial additives, scientists can create the illusion of fruit flavours in food.

   • 2002, “Do You Realize??”, performed by The Flaming Lips:

     You realize the sun don't go down it's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round.

2. (countable) A misapprehension; a belief in something that is in fact not true.

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

3. (countable) A magician’s trick.
4. (uncountable) The state of being deceived or misled.

• (that seems to be something it is not): mirage, phantom
• (a belief in something untrue; the state of being misled): delusion
• (a belief in something untrue): misapprehension, misbelief, misconception

From French illusion, from Latin illūsio.

illusion c (singular definite illusionen, plural indefinite illusioner)

1. illusion

• “illusion” in Den Danske Ordbog

Borrowed from Latin illusiōnem.

• IPA^(key): /i.ly.zjɔ̃/, /il.ly.zjɔ̃/

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔ̃
• Homophone: illusions

illusion f (plural illusions)

1. illusion

• illusion d’optique

• illusoire
• illusoirement

• → Danish: illusion

• “illusion”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• IPA^(key): /ɪlɵˈɧuːn/

• Audio:

  (file)

illusion c

1. an illusion

• illusionist

• illusorisk

• illustration
• illustrera
• synvilla
• trick

• illusion in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• illusion in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• illusion in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)