What does "illusion" mean?
Illusion: Hence: Anything agreeably fascinating and charning; enchantment; witchery; glamour. Ye soft illusions, dear deceits, arise! Pope.
Additional senses
- 2.(Physiol.) 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. Note: Some modern writers distinguish between an illusion and hallucination, regarding the former as originating with some external object, and the latter as having no objective occasion whatever.
- 3.A plain, delicate lace, usually of silk, used for veils, scarfs, dresses, etc. See Delusion. Illusion, Delusion. Illusion refers particularly to errors of the sense; delusion to false hopes or deceptions of the mind. An optical deception is an illusion; a false opinion is a delusion. E. Edwards.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00