optical illusion

noun

plural optical illusions

: a misleading image presented to the vision

Zebras look like optical illusions to me. Which are they—black with white stripes or white with black stripes?

—Al Robinson

The sun, moon, and planets circle above the terrestrial plane in the region of the equator. Their apparent rising and setting is an optical illusion caused by atmospheric refraction …

—Ranger Rick

Examples of optical illusion in a Sentence

The closer building looks larger than the farther one, but it's just an optical illusion. The two buildings are actually the same size.

Recent Examples on the Web

This phenomena is an optical illusion of sorts that occurs as the result of the brain comparing the moon to the size of trees and buildings seen in the same view of the sky. —Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025

German vision scientist Michael Bach has a whole host of optical illusions on his website. —Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2025

Back in November 2023, the Oscar winner chatted with Kylie Jenner for Interview magazine and denied cosmetic enhancement speculations by crediting her makeup artist for his optical illusion glam. —Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025

The wingspan on Yesavage’s 6-foot-4 frame creates an optical illusion for hitters. —Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for optical illusion

• immunodiffusion
• allusion
• collusion
• conclusion
• confusion
• contusion
• delusion
• diffusion
• effusion
• exclusion
• extrusion
• inclusion

Kids Definition

optical illusion

noun

: illusion sense 1

Medical Definition

optical illusion

noun

: visual perception of a real object in such a way as to misinterpret its actual nature