Definition of pareidolia
: the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern
The scientific explanation for some people is pareidolia, or the human ability to see shapes or make pictures out of randomness. Think of the Rorschach inkblot test.— Pamela Ferdinand
— compare apophenia
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for pareidolia
The first known use of pareidolia was in 1962
See more words from the same year