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Definition of illusion noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

illusion

noun
 
/ɪˈluːʒn/
 
/ɪˈluːʒn/
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  1. [countable, uncountable] a false idea or belief, especially about somebody or about a situation
    • under the illusion that… She's under the illusion that (= believes wrongly that) she'll get the job.
    • illusion about something The new president has no illusions about the difficulties facing her country (= she knows that the country has serious problems).
    • I have no illusions about her feelings for me (= I know the truth is that she does not love me).
    • He could no longer distinguish between illusion and reality.
    • I don’t want to have my illusions shattered!
    Extra Examples
    • I don't want to give him any false illusions.
    • I never had any grand illusions of winning.
    • I think I have lost all the illusions I had left.
    • Now is the time to shed our illusions.
    • To believe you have nothing more to learn is a dangerous illusion.
    • Meeting my hero in real life really shattered all my illusions about him.
    • To believe that you're safe is a dangerous illusion.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • dangerous
    • optical
    • visual
    verb + illusion
    • be under
    • entertain
    • have
    preposition
    • illusion about
    • illusion as to
    phrases
    • be all an illusion
    See full entry
  2. [countable] something that seems to exist but in fact does not, or seems to be something that it is not
    • Mirrors in a room often give an illusion of space.
    • The idea of absolute personal freedom is an illusion.
    see also optical illusion
    Extra Examples
    • It turned out that their happy marriage was all an illusion.
    • The figure was only a trick of light, a mere illusion.
    • The slogan provides the comforting illusion that something is being done.
    • They are trying to maintain the illusion that the company is in good shape.
    • They wanted to create the illusion of being a close, happy family.
    • The huge size of the vehicle gives the illusion of safety.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • dangerous
    • optical
    • visual
    verb + illusion
    • be under
    • entertain
    • have
    preposition
    • illusion about
    • illusion as to
    phrases
    • be all an illusion
    See full entry
  3. Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘deceiving, deception’): via Old French from Latin illusio(n-), from illudere ‘to mock’, from in- ‘against’ + ludere ‘play’.
See illusion in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee illusion in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

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