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

The optical illusion reminded early settlers of the blockades of wooden stakes, or palisades, built around forts to ward off threats. —Literary Hub, 13 May 2026

Is kicker Spencer Porath an optical illusion? —Pete Sampson, New York Times, 7 May 2026

Stripes could create an optical illusion of size, and mixing objects of different sizes could change the perception of speed. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 May 2026

Whether the nook is an architectural standout or an optical illusion of ingenuity, make the space shine with a color scheme that dovetails with your style. —Lacey Howard, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Apr. 2026

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