Definition of ALLUSIONS (original) (raw)
1
: an implied or indirect reference especially in literature
a poem that makes allusions to classical literature
also : the use of such references
2
: the act of making an indirect reference to something : the act of alluding to something
Did you know?
An allusion is not a play on words—that would be a pun—but allusion does come from the Latin verb allūdere, which in turn combines the verb lūdere, meaning “play,” with the prefix ad-, which can mean “to,” “toward,” or “near.” One way of thinking about an allusion—an indirect reference, especially (though not exclusively) as used in literature—is that it “plays toward or around” something rather than naming it directly. For example, Picnic, Lightning, the title of a book by poet Billy Collins, is an allusion to a line from Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita. This allusion—like most—works on the assumption that there is a body of knowledge shared by the author and reader and that therefore the reader will understand the reference. Don’t be misled by the similar pronunciation and spelling of allusion and illusion, however. You wouldn’t be the first, but the latter—which also comes from _lūdere_—refers to something that is visually or otherwise misleading.
Did you know?
Allusion and illusion may share some portion of their ancestry (both words come in part from the Latin word ludere, meaning “to play”), and sound quite similar, but they are distinct words with very different meanings. An allusion is an indirect reference, whereas an illusion is something that is unreal or incorrect. Each of the nouns has a related verb form: allude “to refer indirectly to,” and illude (not a very common word), which may mean “to delude or deceive” or “to subject to an illusion.”
Examples of allusion in a Sentence
There are lots of literary echoes and allusions in the novel, but they don't do anything for the tired texture of the prose. —
Tony Tanner, New York Times Book Review, 6 Apr. 1997 So while the former engineering professor with an IQ reportedly tipping 180 enjoys bombarding his staff with math wizardry, scientific jargon and computerese, he also drops frequent allusions to his baseball card and stamp collections … —Maureen Dowd, New York Times Magazine, 16 Sept. 1990 To my ear this is a beautiful reenactment of the prose of the antebellum South, with its careful grammar, its stately cadences, and its classical allusions and quotations. —Cleanth Brooks, The Language of the American South, 1985
The lyrics contain biblical allusions. She made allusion to her first marriage.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Now McCrae follows the journey of a poet and his guide through Hell’s landscape, in a clear allusion to Dante and his Inferno. —Elisa Gonzalez, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025 Yet for anyone who’s been paying attention to Ferreira’s career over the past decade, there are a few ways to interpret the song’s allusions to feeling trapped—and finally breaking free. —Keaton Bell, Vogue, 2 Dec. 2024 Its very name, the flight number for Air France’s iconic Concorde flights between New York and Paris in the 1970s, is an allusion to the carrier’s rich history. —Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 15 Jan. 2025 But according to the author, Taylor surmised that Dean’s confession was also allusion to his sexuality. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for allusion 
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Late Latin allūsiōn-, allūsiō, from Latin allūdere "to play or romp beside, make a playful allusion to" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at allude
First Known Use
1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of allusion was in 1542
Dictionary Entries Near allusion
Cite this Entry
“Allusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allusion. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 8 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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