Do not have any illusions that an industrial tribunal will right all employment wrongs.
No one really has any illusions about winning the war. [+ about]
Synonyms: delusion, misconception, misapprehension, fancy More Synonyms of illusion
2. countable noun
An illusion is something that appears to exist or be a particular thing but does not actually exist or is in reality something else.
Floor-to-ceiling windows can give the illusion of extra height. [+ of]
This eerie calm is an illusion.
Synonyms: false impression, feeling, appearance, impression More Synonyms of illusion
More Synonyms of illusion
illusion in British English
(ɪˈluːʒən)
noun
1.
a false appearance or deceptive impression of reality
the mirror gives an illusion of depth
2.
a false or misleading perception or belief; delusion
he has the illusion that he is really clever
3. psychology
a perception that is not true to reality, having been altered subjectively in some way in the mind of the perceiver
See also hallucination
4.
a very fine gauze or tulle used for trimmings, veils, etc
Derived forms
illusionary (ilˈlusionary) or illusional (ilˈlusional)
adjective
illusioned (ilˈlusioned)
adjective
Word origin
C14: from Latin illūsiō deceit, from illūdere; see illude
illusion in American English
(ɪˈluʒən)
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
3.
a.
a false perception, conception, or interpretation of what one sees, where one is, etc.
b.
the misleading image resulting in such a false impression
4.
hallucination
5.
a delicate, gauzy silk tulle used for veils, etc.
SIMILAR WORDS: deˈlusion
Derived forms
illusional (ilˈlusional)
adjective or ilˈlusionˌary
Word origin
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
Examples of 'illusion' in a sentence
illusion
Damin turned away, to give them at least the illusion of privacy.
Jennifer Fallon TREASON KEEP (2001)
These last remnants of nature formed divisions between the housing developments, giving their owners an illusion of being country dwellers.
Val McDermid THE LAST TEMPTATION (2001)
Sometimes an illusion becomes an essential part of life; I've told you about Lily loving Patrick.
Gash, Jonathan THE TARTAN RINGERS (2001)
In other languages
illusion
British English: illusion /ɪˈluːʒən/ NOUN
An illusion is something that appears to exist or to be a particular thing but in reality does not exist or is something else.
The bright paint gave the illusion of sunlight.
American English: illusion
Arabic: وَهْمٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: ilusão
Chinese: 幻想
Croatian: iluzija
Czech: iluze
Danish: illusion
Dutch: illusie
European Spanish: ilusión
Finnish: illuusio
French: illusion
German: Illusion
Greek: παραίσθηση
Italian: illusione
Japanese: 錯覚
Korean: 환각
Norwegian: illusjon
Polish: iluzja
European Portuguese: ilusão
Romanian: iluzie
Russian: иллюзия
Latin American Spanish: ilusión
Swedish: illusion
Thai: ภาพลวงตา
Turkish: yanılsama
Ukrainian: ілюзія
Vietnamese: ảo tưởng
Chinese translation of 'illusion'
illusion
(ɪˈluːʒən)
n(c)
(= false idea) 幻想 (huànxiǎng) (个(個), gè)
(= false appearance) 错(錯)觉(覺) (cuòjué) (个(個), gè)
to have no illusions about sth对(對)某事不抱有幻想 (duì mǒushì bù bàoyǒu huànxiǎng)
to be under the illusion that ... 对(對) ... 存有幻想 (duì ... cúnyǒu huànxiǎng)
1 (noun)
Definition
a false or misleading idea or belief
No one really has any illusions about winning the war.
Synonyms
delusion
I was under the delusion that he intended to marry me.
misconception
There are many fears and misconceptions about cancer.
misapprehension
We were under no misapprehension about the scale of the problem.
fancy
His book is a bold surrealist mixture of fact and fancy.
deception
fallacy
This is the biggest fallacy of all.
self-deception
false impression
false belief
misbelief
2 (noun)
Definition
a false appearance or deceptive impression of reality
Floor-to-ceiling windows give the illusion of extra space.
Synonyms
false impression
feeling
appearance
They gave the appearance of being on both sides.
impression
My impression is that they are totally out of control.
fancy
deception
imitation
sham
Their promises were exposed as a hollow sham.
pretence
She was completely without guile or pretence.
semblance
fallacy
Opposites
fact
,
truth
,
reality
,
actuality
3 (noun)
The rapid changes of lighting created an illusion of movement.
Synonyms
fantasy
vision
She heard voices and saw visions of her ancestors.
hallucination
Perhaps the footprint was a hallucination.
trick
It appears to be on fire, but it's just a trick of the light.
spectre
His spectre is said to walk the castle battlements.
mirage
Through my half-closed eyelids I began to see mirages.
semblance
daydream
She perpetually drifted off into daydreams and made up fantasy stories in her head.
apparition
She recognized one of the women as the apparition she had seen.
chimera
He spent his life pursuing the chimera of perfect love.
figment of the imagination
phantasm
ignis fatuus
will-o'-the-wisp
Additional synonyms
in the sense of apparition
Definition
a ghost or ghostlike figure
She recognized one of the women as the apparition she had seen.
Synonyms
ghost,
spirit,
shade (literary),
phantom,
spectre,
spook (informal),
wraith,
chimera,
revenant,
visitant,
eidolon,
atua (New Zealand),
kehua (New Zealand)
in the sense of appearance
They gave the appearance of being on both sides.
Synonyms
impression,
air,
front,
image,
illusion,
guise,
façade,
pretence,
veneer,
semblance,
outward show
in the sense of chimera
Definition
a wild and unrealistic dream or idea
He spent his life pursuing the chimera of perfect love.