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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
illusion
noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
optical illusion
shatter sb’s illusions (=make someone realise their beliefs are wrong)
▪ I hate to be the one to shatter your illusions, but you’re wrong.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
optical
▪ For once, the optical illusion experienced by sailors leaving port seemed apt.
▪ This is called an optical illusion, which means that your eyes trick you into seeing something that is not really there.
▪ Shiseido's Wrinkle Smoothing Concentrate works on the principle of an optical illusion.
▪ Even better, the full Coliseum will not be an optical illusion.
▪ It was probably an optical illusion, but the place seemed to be flying more eagles and swastikas than stars and stripes.
▪ Most argued that the canals were optical illusions, and that Mars was a cold, waterless, radiation-baked world.
▪ This is an optical illusion in which the diagram of a skeleton cube appears to the observer in either of two orientations.
▪ Even knowing what he did, Kirov found it difficult to see how the optical illusion had been managed.
■ NOUN
money
▪ Some saw the irrational spectre of money illusion lurking menacingly in the wings.
▪ Capitalists are smart enough not to suffer from money illusion.
▪ The irrational spectre of money illusion is often seen to lie behind the complex facade of income-expenditure models derived from the system.
■ VERB
create
▪ His remedy was to divide the garden with a wicker arch into two sections, to create an illusion of space.
▪ First, the leader has or creates the illusion of a track record of success.
▪ Pool will use the outer planets to create the illusion of a nova.
▪ The approach of many a trainee, therefore, was to create the illusion of desirability.
▪ The eccentric shape of the room made a cranny, and here he could create the illusion of solitude.
▪ Of course, the anchor has had plenty of help from plenty of crafts people in creating the illusion of calm omniscience.
▪ The fields interlace on screen to create the illusion of full pictures.
▪ It needed gobs of honey or molasses along with a big wad of butter to create the illusion of good eating.
foster
▪ Political warfare fosters the illusion of an active system full of excitement and competition.
give
▪ It gave an illusion of space and space meant freedom.
▪ You are given the illusion you can do it without an expenditure of a lot of your own time.
▪ Nigel was ostentatiously smoking a big cigar to give an illusion of poise.
▪ It gives them the illusion of divine aura.
▪ The shorts were pleated about the waist and flared widely, giving an illusion of being a too short skirt.
▪ Informal resistance against formal organisation gives the illusion of regaining control.
▪ Charles stressed that Aimee's hair would look especially striking if it was darkened and enriched to give the illusion of body.
▪ However, the container is likely to be tapered towards the top and striped, giving the illusion of quantity.
maintain
▪ The nitrous-oxide bottle is hidden under the rear hugger to maintain the illusion that the bike is standard.
▪ Some people who shop resale stores enjoy maintaining the illusion that they can afford full-price designer wear.
▪ This maintains the important illusion that one has stepped into a warm stream in a lush tropical forest.
▪ The me directs these chains in keeping with its desire to maintain the illusion of wholeness and continuity.
offer
▪ Rape offers the illusion of complete control, obtained either by a weapon, physical or verbal intimidation or drugging.
shatter
▪ However the motion of the car shatters any illusion that you are travelling through space!
▪ It would shatter the illusion he was trying to create of having a unique grasp of this new warrant business.
▪ Let us not shatter that illusion for a week or so.
▪ Mourning shatters the illusions of self-sufficiency and breaks through the blindness of self-containment.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Alcohol gives some people the illusion of being witty and confident.
▪ It's a small room, but the mirrors create an illusion of space.
▪ People had bought these houses under the illusion that their value would just keep on rising.
▪ She isn't particularly tall, but her upright posture gives an illusion of height.
▪ She thought he loved her but it was just an illusion.
▪ The road appears to get narrower as you look into the distance, but it's just an illusion.
▪ There seems to be a widespread illusion that there are no class barriers anymore.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Carter was well aware of these problems when he was approached by Vance, and had no illusions about the job.
▪ Even better this year than last, though maybe that's just an illusion.
▪ Even better, the full Coliseum will not be an optical illusion.
▪ Farther west is the Hudson River, creating the illusion that ocean liners occasionally sail down the street.
▪ Professor Gregory is distinguished for his studies in experimental psychology, most notably in visual perception and the nature of visual illusions.
▪ The whole thing is just a gigantic illusion.
▪ Through this process of the return to the mean or average, the superbly intelligent, highly motivated race remains an illusion.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Illusion

Illusion \Il*lu"sion\, n. [F. illusion, L. illusio, fr. illudere, illusum, to illude. See Illude.]

  1. An unreal image presented to the bodily or mental vision; a deceptive appearance; a false show; mockery; hallucination.

    To cheat the eye with blear illusions.
    --Milton.

  2. Hence: Anything agreeably fascinating and charming; enchantment; witchery; glamour.

    Ye soft illusions, dear deceits, arise!
    --Pope.

  3. (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.

  4. A plain, delicate lace, usually of silk, used for veils, scarfs, dresses, etc.

    Syn: Delusion; mockery; deception; chimera; fallacy. 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.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
illusion

mid-14c., "act of deception," from Old French illusion "a mocking, deceit, deception" (12c.), from Latin illusionem (nominative illusio) "a mocking, jesting, irony," from illudere "mock at," literally "to play with," from assimilated form of in- "at, upon" (see in- (2)) + ludere "to play" (see ludicrous). Sense of "deceptive appearance" developed in Church Latin and was attested in English by late 14c. Related: Illusioned "full of illusions" (1920).

Wiktionary
illusion

n. 1 (context countable English) Anything that seems to be something that it is not. 2 (context countable English) A misapprehension; a belief in something that is in fact not true. 3 (context countable English) A magician’s trick. 4 (context uncountable English) The state of being deceived or misled.

WordNet
illusion
  1. n. an erroneous mental representation [syn: semblance]

  2. something many people believe that is false; "they have the illusion that I am very wealthy" [syn: fantasy, phantasy, fancy]

  3. the act of deluding; deception by creating illusory ideas [syn: delusion, head game]

  4. an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers [syn: magic trick, conjuring trick, trick, magic, legerdemain, conjuration, deception]

Wikipedia
Illusion

An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Though illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may occur with any of the human senses, but visual illusions ( optical illusions), are the most well-known and understood. The emphasis on visual illusions occurs because vision often dominates the other senses. For example, individuals watching a ventriloquist will perceive the voice is coming from the dummy since they are able to see the dummy mouth the words. Some illusions are based on general assumptions the brain makes during perception. These assumptions are made using organizational principles (e.g., Gestalt theory), an individual's capacity for depth perception and motion perception, and perceptual constancy. Other illusions occur because of biological sensory structures within the human body or conditions outside of the body within one’s physical environment.

The term illusion refers to a specific form of sensory distortion. Unlike a hallucination, which is a distortion in the absence of a stimulus, an illusion describes a misinterpretation of a true sensation. For example, hearing voices regardless of the environment would be a hallucination, whereas hearing voices in the sound of running water (or other auditory source) would be an illusion.

Mimes are known for a repertoire of illusions that are created by physical means. The mime artist creates an illusion of acting upon or being acted upon by an unseen object. These illusions exploit the audience's assumptions about the physical world. Well-known examples include "walls", "climbing stairs", "leaning", "descending ladders", and "pulling and pushing".

Illusion (company)

is a company from Yokohama, Japan famous for developing eroge with 3D graphics. Due to Illusion's policy, its games are not allowed to be sold or used outside Japan, and official support is only given in Japanese and for use in Japan.

Illusion (disambiguation)

An illusion is an error in perception such as an optical illusion or auditory illusion.

Illusion or Illusions may also refer to:

  • Illusion (company), a Japanese eroge company
  • Illusion (keelboat), a single-handed one-design yacht
  • Illusion (turn), a type of turn used in dance
  • Magic (illusion), the art of conjuring
  • Maya (illusion), a concept in Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh philosophy
  • Vekoma Illusion, a type of roller coaster
Illusion (Renaissance album)

Illusion is the second studio album by the British progressive rock band Renaissance, released in 1971. It was originally released only in Germany and did not receive a wider release until 1973. It was first released in the UK in 1977, with a cover that had the original front and rear cover artwork swapped.

Illusion (2004 film)

Illusion is an independent feature film released in 2004. It was directed by Michael Goorjian and features Kirk Douglas in his last film role before retirement.

Illusion (keelboat)

The Illusion is a one-design, single-handed keelboat based on the lines of a 12 metre yacht. Its features include foot pedal steering, genoa roller reefing, full trimming facilities, large buoyancy tanks, and car-top mounting. It was designed by Jo Richards and Neil Graham in 1981.

Illusion (Krassimir Avramov song)

"Illusion" is a song performed by Krassimir Avramov. The song represented Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, Russia.

It competed in the first semi-final on 12 May 2009, but failed to reach the final, finishing 16th of the 18 performers, scoring just seven points. Male lead singer Avramov performed parts of the song in falsetto.

Illusion (UK band)

Illusion were a British band formed in 1977. They released two albums, Out of the Mist and Illusion on Island Records. Their music was classically inspired, sophisticated, and polished. The band undertook a number of tour dates but found their style of music out of fashion with the rise of punk rock and disbanded.

Illusion were intended to be a reunion of the original line-up of Renaissance (whose second album was titled Illusion), but singer and guitarist Keith Relf died before the project was realised. Jim McCarty moved from drums to play acoustic guitar and share vocals with Jane Relf, while Eddie McNeill replaced him on drums and John Knightsbridge took Keith Relf's place as guitarist following his death.

In 2001 the four core members issued Through the Fire, an album of new material under the name Renaissance Illusion, but did not play any concerts in support of the album.

Illusion (Shahin Najafi album)

Illusion ( Persian: توهم) is the second studio album by the Iranian rapper and singer-songwriter, Shahin Najafi as a solo artist after leaving Tapesh 2012. It was officially released on 19 September 2009 by the German-Iranian Pamas-Verlag publishing house.

Three days prior to the official release of the album, Najafi placed "Vaghti Khoda Khabeh" on his personal blog for free download. He also released a digital version of the entire album on 10 October for Iranian residing inside Iran to download at no cost.

Illusion (1967 film)

Illusion is a 1967 Croatian film directed by Krsto Papić.

Illusion (series)

The Illusion series, known in Japan as I Love Mickey Mouse, is a series of platforming video games licensed by Disney and developed/published by Sega exclusively for its consoles Master System, Sega Genesis and Game Gear. The series follows the adventures of Disney's cartoon character Mickey Mouse (sometimes with Donald Duck) between various fantasy worlds. The series includes Castle of Illusion, and its sequels Land of Illusion, World of Illusion and Legend of Illusion. The first two games and the last game were released for Master System and Game Gear, and the first game and the third game were released for Mega Drive.

Illusion (EP)

Illusion is the first release of the Washington based band, Poor Moon. It was released by US label Sub Pop on March 27, 2012.

Illusion (ZE:A album)

Illusion is the first Korean EP released by K-POP group ZE:A. The album was released on August 9, 2013.

Illusion (photograph)

Illusion is a photograph made by Australian-born landscape photographer, Peter Lik in 2013. In 2014, a print was sold to a private collector for $2.4 million.

The photograph was produced as an Elite Edition 1 of 1. It is an abstract depiction of an outdoor winter setting in Telluride, Colorado.

Lik produced the print on Fujifilm, Fujiflex Crystal Archive - Silver Halide and then placed it in a ½” Optically Clear, Cast Acrylic Frame. The image itself measures 73 1/2”w x 48 1/2”h (186.69 cm x 123.19 cm) while the frame measures 73 ½”w x 48 ½”h x 7/16”d (186.69 cm x 123.19 cm x 1.11 cm).

The 1 of 1 print was acquired by a private collector.

Illusion (1929 film)

Illusion is a 1929 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Lothar Mendes and written by Richard H. Digges Jr., E. Lloyd Sheldon and Arthur Chesney Train. The film stars Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, Nancy Carroll, June Collyer, Kay Francis, Regis Toomey, Knute Erickson and Eugenie Besserer. The film was released on September 21, 1929, by Paramount Pictures.

Illusion (musical)

Illusion is an Australian rock musical by Peter Carey and Mike Mullins with songs by Carey and Martin Armiger, first performed at the Adelaide Festival of the Arts in 1986.

Illusion (Spoken album)

Illusion is the seventh studio album from Spoken. E1 Music released the album on February 12, 2013. Spoken worked with Jasen Rauch, in the production of this album.

Usage examples of "illusion".

But then I felt the taste of air, a rushing breeze of cool clean air on my face and in my mouth, and I saw that Akan had merely parted the sands of illusion.

Modern thought, then, will contest even its own metaphysical impulses, and show that reflections upon life, labour, and language, in so far as they have value as analytics of finitude, express the end of metaphysics: the philosophy of life denounces metaphysics as a veil of illusion, that of labour denounces it as an alienated form of thought and an ideology, that of language as a cultural episode.

Television viewers watching Sloane during a broadcast had the illusion that the anchorman was in, and part of, the newsroom.

Green, glowing claws reached for the rotted bodies, and black teeth bristled from a gaping maw as the illusion attacked the attackers.

Beyond them great racks of volumes, decimal system markers lit in neon, stretched far away into what was the illusion of a Borgesian infinity.

The illusion of Bourbonism was at that moment, so far as surface appearances went, practically untouched.

She was grateful, at least, for one new factor: as the branches thinned, they moved through increasingly heavy clusters of leaves, and the leaves gave her the comforting illusion that a great protective wall had risen up on either side of the narrow branch.

The walls and ceiling were single-sheet mirrors, and there were no shelves nor cabinetry to interfere with the illusion of volume.

Certainly, to Casanova, the French Revolution represented the complete overthrow of many of his cherished illusions.

Then, holding them up to the light, he fanned the cels until the illusion of movement was created.

With his sight restricted to human range, he could not see even a holodeck wall at the moment-but the Elysian gods produced illusions he could not detect even with all sensors fully functioning.

As Emul jittered out his roundabout proposal, various-sized little bumps of flickercladding kept moving up and down his body, creating the illusion of cubes moving on intricate systems of hinges.

Spider-fine leythium lace gave the illusion of transparency, yet revealed nothing, the illusion of all color that was no color, but a walking shadow of a rainbow.

Losing a fighter around you and going extravehicular did terrible things to the comforting illusions that kept fighter pilots rushing into those cockpits.

Boston back garden, its covelike nature takes him back to California and his once-upon-a-time passage through Filmland, where the two concepts in question -- reality, illusion -- were truly inseparable: even he could no longer tell them apart, and so he nearly lost his way again.