illusory

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective illusory contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of illusory are apparent, ostensible, and seeming. While all these words mean "not actually being what appearance indicates," illusory implies a false impression based on deceptive resemblance or faulty observation, or influenced by emotions that prevent a clear view.

an illusory sense of security

When is apparent a more appropriate choice than illusory?

The synonyms apparent and illusory are sometimes interchangeable, but apparent suggests appearance to unaided senses that may or may not be borne out by more rigorous examination or greater knowledge.

the apparent cause of the accident

When is it sensible to use ostensible instead of illusory?

The meanings of ostensible and illusory largely overlap; however, ostensible suggests a discrepancy between an openly declared or naturally implied aim or reason and the true one.

the ostensible reason for their visit

When could seeming be used to replace illusory?

While the synonyms seeming and illusory are close in meaning, seeming implies a character in the thing observed that gives it the appearance, sometimes through intent, of something else.

the seeming simplicity of the story

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of illusory For years, the only mechanisms available for relief from a federal firearms disability were the all but impossible pardon, seemingly illusory expungement that did not satisfy federal requirements, or an expensive and uncertain route of litigation. Mandy Taheri hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025 The tariffs on Canada are illusory because most of the trade is still protected. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 11 July 2025 The Aries moon inspires you while also casting an illusory haze. Usa Today, USA Today, 19 June 2025 The debacle of the Iraq War, triggered by the pursuit of Saddam Hussein’s illusory weapons of mass destruction and links to al-Qaeda, infuriated young conservatives such as JD Vance (who served for six months in Iraq in 2005 as a military journalist). Adrian Wooldridge, Twin Cities, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for illusory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illusory
Adjective
  • Steve Young lifts his arm, holding an imaginary football, preparing to throw.
    Seth Wickersham, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Moreover, her five-letter titles refer to satellite navigation waypoints and fixes for aircraft flying in clouds or at night, that offer passage to imaginary locations defined by the interception of magnetic vectors drawn from the earth’s poles.
    Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But one thing is for certain, an unreal amount of pressure will be on him to deliver, not just making selections, but on the course itself.
    Kendall Capps, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
  • Each makes its contrary unreal, even absurd.
    Roy Scranton August 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Of course, the 0-1 start is not ideal.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
  • When winger Anthony Elanga joined Newcastle United for an initial fee of £52million ($70m) in July, Forest viewed Summerville as an ideal replacement.
    Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • There aren’t any substantial architecture or urbanism ideas at play here, but there is a desperate attempt at marketing the services of both to an imagined audience of the young and very online.
    Kate Wagner, Curbed, 5 Sep. 2025
  • What happened next was a snowball effect – as small stray details were subsumed into a big imagined coverup by the White House.
    Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Peter [Merry] likes to use is that, when a caterpillar is becoming a butterfly, new ‘imaginal cells’ emerge.
    Big Think, Big Think, 7 Aug. 2025
  • With one technique, for example—called imaginal exposure—you might be asked to visualize the process of going to the airport, boarding the plane, and experiencing a bad bout of turbulence.
    Angela Haupt, TIME, 10 May 2024
Adjective
  • The comedic murder-mystery series following three unlikely neighbors — Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) — who bond over their obsession with true crime podcasts.
    Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The upshot is that France’s fiscal mess is unlikely to be fixed anytime soon.
    Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Illusory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illusory. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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