: based on or producing illusion : illusory, deceptive
… that illusive shimmer of hot surface air …—
Frank Norris
Frank NorrisSome who have lain flat on the ice for a long time, looking down through the illusive medium … have seen … the undoubted source of the Styx …—Henry David Thoreau
Henry David ThoreauIt had been like the stage gauze which gives an illusive air of reality to the painted scene behind it, yet proves it, after all, to be no more than a painted scene.—Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton
illusively
adverb
… he seemed to occupy his own still pocket of space, putting Rojas in mind of the lionfish that floated in the waters of the Caribbean—so illusively delicate in appearance, so serenely poisonous.
—Tom Clancy and Martin H. Greenberg
Tom Clancy and Martin H. Greenberg
illusiveness
noun
I was … still under the impression that no one knew I was gay. They all knew and indulged me my illusions of illusiveness.
—Massoud Hayoun
Massoud Hayoun
Examples of illusive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Her story isn’t only about race but also about gender, class, and the illusive nature of the American Dream.
—Glory Edim
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
Four intrepid sleuths crack case after case with their unconventional investigative approaches — and illusive fashion, from distracting hats to reassuring blazers.
—Fawnia Soo Hoo, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025
Context: The visionary director, known for his dark and illusive films, died in January.
—Kim Bojórquez, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be in communication or to lurk on their pages — especially when Venus retrograde links up with illusive Neptune on March 27th.
—Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 27 Feb. 2025
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Glory Edim
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
Four intrepid sleuths crack case after case with their unconventional investigative approaches — and illusive fashion, from distracting hats to reassuring blazers.
—Fawnia Soo Hoo, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025
Context: The visionary director, known for his dark and illusive films, died in January.
—Kim Bojórquez, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be in communication or to lurk on their pages — especially when Venus retrograde links up with illusive Neptune on March 27th.
—Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illusive
Cite this Entry
“Illusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illusive. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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