illusion

The word “illusion” means a false or misleading impression created by something that appears real. In plain terms, something that looks or feels real but isn't — a trick of perception, belief, or stagecraft.

“Illusion” is pronounced ih-LOOZHN ([ɪˈluː.ʒən] in IPA).

Here is “illusion” used in a sentence: “The mirrors created the illusion of a much larger room.”

“Illusion” is a noun.

The word “illusion” comes from Latin. From Old French illusion, from Latin illudere, "to mock or trick" — in- ("upon") + ludere ("to play").

“Illusion” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Illusion” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a false or misleading impression created by something that appears real.

An illusion is a false or misleading impression of something that is really there, such as a trick of the light. A delusion is a false belief held firmly in the mind despite the evidence, so an illusion misleads the senses while a delusion misleads one's beliefs.

An illusion is a misinterpretation of a real external stimulus, like mistaking a coat on a door for a person. A hallucination is a perception of something that is not physically present at all, so it has no real external source.

A mirage is a specific optical illusion caused by light bending through layers of air at different temperatures, often seen as water on a hot road. An illusion is the broader term for any misleading impression that appears real.

In magic, an illusion is a trick performed to deceive an audience into perceiving something impossible. Performers who specialise in large-scale versions of these tricks are usually called illusionists.