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.

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allusion British  

/ əˈluːʒən /

noun

1. the act of alluding

2. a passing reference; oblique or obscure mention

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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.

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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

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

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

These visitors were imposing their own categories on another culture and missing other forms of meaning and allusion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The cat’s “puppy-like confidence” is as close as Jill gets to any canine allusion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026

"A 10-year-old child who doesn't understand a joke or an allusion, it's not a big deal. They will understand it at 15, 20, or 40 years old. There are several levels of interpretation."

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2025

“In the place where there is no darkness,” he said, as though he had recognized the allusion.

From "1984" by George Orwell

Much of the set’s lyrical content evokes nostalgia and longing and is written, as so much traditional roots music is, from the viewpoint of those living within the culture, including work jargon and local allusions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 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

There are allusions to the tragedies that befell him: the loss of a young daughter to measles encephalitis and his son’s near-fatal accident.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026

Do the allusions and shout-outs to current events and personalities seem a little too close for comfort?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026

I thought if I just ignore them and their allusions of grandeur, then they’ll eventually forget about it.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

Related Words

• quotation