allusion

noun

al·​lu·​sion ə-ˈlü-zhən 

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?

What is the word origin of allusion?

Allusion was borrowed into English in the 16th century. It derives from the Latin verb alludere, meaning "to play with," "to jest," or "to refer to," as does its cousin allude, meaning "to make indirect reference" or "to refer." Alludere, in turn, derives from a combination of the prefix ad- ("to or toward") and ludere ("to play"). Ludere is a Latin word that English speakers have enjoyed playing with over the years, creating collude, delude, elude, and prelude, just to name a few.

Did you know?

Allusion and Illusion

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

Just take a look at this year’s VMAs ceremonies, where countless new-gen pop talents, including Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McCrae and Megan Thee Stallion, incorporated allusions to classic Britney in their appearances and performances. —James Dinh, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2024

The accompanying music video was rife with allusions to a larger narrative. —Alex Barasch, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024

His allusions can be hard to follow, but his mordant wit repays the effort. —The Week Us, theweek, 17 Sep. 2024

After a year and a half in Italy, Buarque returned to Brazil and recorded this epic masterpiece sprinkled with subtle allusions to the dictatorship’s oppression of the individual. —Ernesto Lechner, SPIN, 10 Sep. 2024

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

Kids Definition

allusion

noun

al·​lu·​sion ə-ˈlü-zhən 

: a reference made to something that is not directly mentioned

the book contains many allusions to earlier books

allusive

-ˈlü-siv 

-ziv

adjective

allusively adverb

allusiveness noun