allusion

noun

al·lu·sion ə-ˈlü-zhən How to pronounce allusion (audio)

: an implied or indirect reference especially in literature

a poem that makes allusions to classical literature

also : the use of such references

: the act of making an indirect reference to something : the act of alluding to something

Did you know?

What is the word origin of allusion?

Allusion was borrowed into English in the 16th century. It derives from the Latin verb alludere, meaning "to play with," "to jest," or "to refer to," as does its cousin allude, meaning "to make indirect reference" or "to refer." Alludere, in turn, derives from a combination of the prefix ad- ("to or toward") and ludere ("to play"). Ludere is a Latin word that English speakers have enjoyed playing with over the years, creating collude, delude, elude, and prelude, just to name a few.

Did you know?

Allusion and Illusion

Allusion and illusion may share some portion of their ancestry (both words come in part from the Latin word ludere, meaning “to play”), and sound quite similar, but they are distinct words with very different meanings. An allusion is an indirect reference, whereas an illusion is something that is unreal or incorrect. Each of the nouns has a related verb form: allude “to refer indirectly to,” and illude (not a very common word), which may mean “to delude or deceive” or “to subject to an illusion.”

Example Sentences

There are lots of literary echoes and allusions in the novel, but they don't do anything for the tired texture of the prose.

Tony Tanner, New York Times Book Review, 6 Apr. 1997 So while the former engineering professor with an IQ reportedly tipping 180 enjoys bombarding his staff with math wizardry, scientific jargon and computerese, he also drops frequent allusions to his baseball card and stamp collections …

Maureen Dowd, New York Times Magazine, 16 Sept. 1990 To my ear this is a beautiful reenactment of the prose of the antebellum South, with its careful grammar, its stately cadences, and its classical allusions and quotations.

Cleanth Brooks, The Language of the American South, 1985 The lyrics contain biblical allusions. She made allusion to her first marriage.

Recent Examples on the Web Meloni’s allusion to security in Italian cities is a right-wing theme in this election campaign, which also hits at immigration.

Colleen Barry, ajc, 22 Aug. 2022 In part this is a function of Sebald’s use of allusion and collage.

Ben Lerner, The New York Review of Books, 25 Feb. 2021 Recent images of Yeezy Gap clothes piled in large black bags have raised eyebrows on social media, with some pointing out the insensitivity of the bags’ resemblance to trash bags – and their possible allusion to homelessness.

Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2022 The density of allusion increases, such that images team not just with cultural blasphemy and pop and commercial references, but also with linguistic and cultural allusions that cut across cultures.

Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2022 There’s no further detail in the complaint, other than an allusion to connections at the streamer, but Blue Park has no ties to Abbott Elementary.

Ashley Cullins, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Aug. 2022 Beyond the bedroom is the house’s focal point, the great room, centered around a stainless steel sculpture resembling a cluster of giant quartz crystals — an allusion to Superman’s Fortress of Solitude.

New York Times, 5 Aug. 2022 As Alemany is quick to point out, the allusion to Stanford is more about an aspiration to actively support the tech ecosystem rather than any kind of direct comparison.

Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 12 Apr. 2022 The allusion was a hit, with Twitter users immediately recognizing the skit’s inspiration.

Brooklyn White, Essence, 5 Apr. 2022 See More

单词	allusion
释义	allusion noun al·lu·sion ə-ˈlü-zhən 1 : an implied or indirect reference especially in literature a poem that makes allusions to classical literature also : the use of such references 2 : the act of making an indirect reference to something : the act of alluding to something Did you know? What is the word origin of allusion? Allusion was borrowed into English in the 16th century. It derives from the Latin verb alludere, meaning "to play with," "to jest," or "to refer to," as does its cousin allude, meaning "to make indirect reference" or "to refer." Alludere, in turn, derives from a combination of the prefix ad- ("to or toward") and ludere ("to play"). Ludere is a Latin word that English speakers have enjoyed playing with over the years, creating collude, delude, elude, and prelude, just to name a few. Did you know? Allusion and Illusion Allusion and illusion may share some portion of their ancestry (both words come in part from the Latin word ludere, meaning “to play”), and sound quite similar, but they are distinct words with very different meanings. An allusion is an indirect reference, whereas an illusion is something that is unreal or incorrect. Each of the nouns has a related verb form: allude “to refer indirectly to,” and illude (not a very common word), which may mean “to delude or deceive” or “to subject to an illusion.” Example Sentences There are lots of literary echoes and allusions in the novel, but they don't do anything for the tired texture of the prose. Tony Tanner, New York Times Book Review, 6 Apr. 1997 So while the former engineering professor with an IQ reportedly tipping 180 enjoys bombarding his staff with math wizardry, scientific jargon and computerese, he also drops frequent allusions to his baseball card and stamp collections … Maureen Dowd, New York Times Magazine, 16 Sept. 1990 To my ear this is a beautiful reenactment of the prose of the antebellum South, with its careful grammar, its stately cadences, and its classical allusions and quotations. Cleanth Brooks, The Language of the American South, 1985 The lyrics contain biblical allusions. She made allusion to her first marriage. Recent Examples on the Web Meloni’s allusion to security in Italian cities is a right-wing theme in this election campaign, which also hits at immigration. Colleen Barry, ajc, 22 Aug. 2022 In part this is a function of Sebald’s use of allusion and collage. Ben Lerner, The New York Review of Books, 25 Feb. 2021 Recent images of Yeezy Gap clothes piled in large black bags have raised eyebrows on social media, with some pointing out the insensitivity of the bags’ resemblance to trash bags – and their possible allusion to homelessness. Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2022 The density of allusion increases, such that images team not just with cultural blasphemy and pop and commercial references, but also with linguistic and cultural allusions that cut across cultures. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2022 There’s no further detail in the complaint, other than an allusion to connections at the streamer, but Blue Park has no ties to Abbott Elementary. Ashley Cullins, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Aug. 2022 Beyond the bedroom is the house’s focal point, the great room, centered around a stainless steel sculpture resembling a cluster of giant quartz crystals — an allusion to Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. New York Times, 5 Aug. 2022 As Alemany is quick to point out, the allusion to Stanford is more about an aspiration to actively support the tech ecosystem rather than any kind of direct comparison. Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 12 Apr. 2022 The allusion was a hit, with Twitter users immediately recognizing the skit’s inspiration. Brooklyn White, Essence, 5 Apr. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Late Latin allusion-, allusio, from Latin alludere — see allude First Known Use 1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition allusion noun al·lu·sion ə-ˈlü-zhən : a statement that refers to something without mentioning it directly allusion noun as in reference a statement that refers to something without mentioning it directly The lyrics contain biblical allusions. Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance reference implication insinuation inference innuendo indication clue intimation suggestion evidence mention cue hint inkling mention idea glimpse lead whiff inspiration scent glimmer notion wind sign token signal breath denotation assistance overtone key flicker telltale hunch nod prompt pointer mark guidepost wink tip tip-off Antonyms & Near Antonyms solution answer
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allusion

noun

Did you know?

Did you know?

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

noun

noun