allusion

American  

[uh-loo-zhuhn] / əˈlu ʒən /

noun

• allusions
  plural

1. a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something, either directly or by implication.

   The novel's title is an allusion to Shakespeare.

2. the act of alluding; the making of a casual or indirect reference to something.

   The Bible is a fertile source of allusion in art.

3. Obsolete. a metaphor or parable.

---

allusion British  

/ əˈluːʒən /

noun

1. the act of alluding

2. a passing reference; oblique or obscure mention

---

allusion Cultural  

1. An indirect reference to some piece of knowledge not actually mentioned. Allusions usually come from a body of information that the author presumes the reader will know. For example, an author who writes, “She was another Helen,” is alluding to the proverbial beauty of Helen of Troy.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preallusion
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• allusions
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of allusion

First recorded in 1540–50; Late Latin allūsiōn- (stem of allūsiō ), equivalent to allūs(us), past participle of allūdere ( see allude; al- + lūd- “play” + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion

---

Explanation

That little nod to a Dylan Thomas poem that you sneaked into your PowerPoint presentation? That was an allusion, a quick reference to something that your audience will have to already know in order to "get." An allusion often references a famous work of art or literature, or to something from your own life. For example, you might say, "I obviously am no expert at love" — an allusion to your failed relationships. The main thing to remember is that an allusion is a brief hint or a quick mention. It’s meant to bring to mind a particular subject, but it always avoids getting into it in great depth.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

allusion allusions

Even in a passing comment where he appeared to reference Yellen, he pointedly did not mention make even an allusion to Powell.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Clips of his comment circulated widely on social media as if it were an allusion to abuse, and Flavio Bolsonaro accused Lula of being "sexist."

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

An intentional allusion wouldn’t be unprecedented for the administration.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

I’m under no illusion that each and every lyrical allusion to literature will foster a reading revolution.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2026

The souvenir pamphlet noted that even a full load of passengers had “no more effect on the movements or the speed than if they were so many flies”—an oddly ungracious allusion.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

The story, centering on the rise and fall of a Westish infield prodigy, is rich in love, camaraderie and allusions to Herman Melville.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

Famous “Bills” are all about: Zane, Shakespeare, Wonka, and “Bill-bo Baggins,” along with allusions to “canceled Bills” like Cosby and Clinton.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

Similarly, his cultural allusions no longer provoke even a tingle, let alone a shock of recognition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

I saw a lot of allusions and references in your lyrics and videos to “trashy icons,” like Lindsay Lohan with the Chanel purse ankle monitor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026

The recorded songs of the humpback whale, filled with tensions and resolutions, ambiguities and allusions, incomplete, can be listened to as a part of music, like an isolated section of an orchestra.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• quotation

---