allusion

noun

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

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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.

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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.”

Examples of allusion in a Sentence

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 On primary night, Garvey’s speech to supporters was full of baseball allusions. David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 Nineties kids will find the film rife with satisfying nods to the era, from allusions to Goosebumps and The Smashing Pumpkins to a supporting performance by Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, who plays Owen’s terrifying, homophobic father. Shannon L. Bowen, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024 As sitcom allusions go, that’s practically a memento mori. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2024 Fans will catch the unsubtle allusion to Spider-Man/Peter Parker’s paternalistic and doomed Uncle Ben. Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 The Dune allusions are based on the sheer amount of dust and sweat resting atop her skin. Vulture, 31 Jan. 2024 The probable allusion the rapper could have been making is to Chris Brown’s 2009 assault on Rihanna, the start of more than a decade of allegations and reports of violence and harassment for Brown. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2024 The title’s allusion to diary-keeping is on point: Ito’s vulnerabilities can be discomfiting to witness, even with her consent. Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2024 But the ending disappointed viewers who were expecting some kind of supernatural payoff to all of the vague allusions to the horror stories of H.P. Lovecraft. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 2 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'allusion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin allusion-, allusio, from Latin alludere — see allude

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of allusion was in 1542

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Dictionary Entries Near allusion

Cite this Entry

“Allusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allusion. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

allusion

noun
al·​lu·​sion ə-ˈlü-zhən How to pronounce allusion (audio)
: a reference made to something that is not directly mentioned
the book contains many allusions to earlier books
allusive adjective
allusively adverb
allusiveness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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