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Synonyms

allusion

American  
[uh-loo-zhuhn] / əˈlu ʒən /

noun

  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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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

  • preallusion noun

Etymology

Origin of allusion

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One of the pleasures here is witnessing both actors reanimate the rhythms of a long-ago conversation, their text absent the typical tidiness of a screenplay and instead an interwoven network of inflection, attitude, allusion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

"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

The allusion to economic justifications for the Confederacy’s inhumane cruelty is mocked and transformed, while also implying the process as Black reparation.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

The trophy features many nods from the 60-year-old musician, including a hand-drawn “cresting wave” illustration and an arrow and mod symbol — an allusion to Vedder’s tribute to the Who on his personal guitar.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 2025

It had all the elements—romance, sadness, an allusion to the war, and faithful love.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.