allusion

noun al·lu·sion \ ə-ˈlü-zhən \

Definition of allusion

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

—

allusive

play \-ˈlü-siv, -ziv\ adjective

—

allusively

adverb

—

allusiveness

noun

See allusion defined for English-language learners

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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 of allusion from the Web

This season was especially egregious, with each episode containing numerous homages, references, and allusions to earlier stories.

— varad mehta, National Review, "Why Can’t the Doctor Be More Like a Woman?," 22 July 2017
Ted Cruz, a principled conservative who would never condone violence against the media, thirstily made some vague, nonsensical allusions suggesting that CNN may have committed a crime.

— jay willis, GQ, "The CNN-Trump GIF Debacle Is Another Reminder That Everything You Post on the Internet Is Fair Game," 5 July 2017
With hints of the 1930s draping styles and high necks that defined the late Schiaparelli's heyday, Guyon placed allusions to Cubism and Surrealism at the heart of the show.

— thomas adamson, Detroit Free Press, "Art mixes with the aquatic for Paris Couture Week," 3 July 2017
With hints of the 1930s draping styles and high necks that defined the late Schiaparelli’s heyday, Guyon placed allusions to Cubism and Surrealism at the heart of the show.

— thomas adamson, The Seattle Times, "Art mixes with the aquatic for Paris Couture Week," 3 July 2017
This appears to be an allusion to the Congressional Budget Office’s determination that the House bill would eliminate insurance for 23 million people — 14 million of them through the very Medicaid provisions Heller was criticizing most.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Another Republican Senator Comes Out As a ‘No’ on Health-Care Bill, Imperiling its Prospects," 23 June 2017
Venom and Silver & Black will merely make vague allusions to the existence of Spider-Man, allowing audiences to believe these movies all exist within the same universe without stepping on the MCU’s toes.

— scott meslow, GQ, "Okay, What the Hell Is Going On With the New Spider-Man Movies?," 20 June 2017
Emmit references the greatest trick the devil ever pulled, which may be relevant in a season with so many religious allusions.

— zane moses, baltimoresun.com, "'Fargo' recap: Things are ramping up in 'Aporia'," 15 June 2017
Regardless of their verity, allusions to Shakespeare in the political realm and politics in Shakespearian productions seem unlikely to abate any time soon.

— emma talkoff, Time, "'Julius Caesar' Isn't Unique. Americans Love Talking About Politics Through Shakespeare," 12 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'allusion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.”

What Is the Word Origin of allusion?

Allusion was borrowed into English in the middle of the 16th century. It derives from the Latin verb alludere, meaning "to refer to, to play with, or to jest," as does its cousin allude, meaning "to make indirect reference" or "to refer." Alludere, in turn, derives from a combination of the prefix ad- and ludere ("to play"). Ludere is a Latin word that English speakers have enjoyed playing with over the years; we've used it to create collude, delude, elude, and prelude, to name just a few.