allude

American  

[uh-lood] / əˈlud /

verb (used without object)

alluded, alluding

1. to refer casually or indirectly; make an allusion (usually followed byto ).

   He often alluded to his poverty.

2. to contain a casual or indirect reference (usually followed byto ).

   The letter alludes to something now forgotten.

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allude British  

/ əˈluːd /

verb

1. to refer indirectly, briefly, or implicitly

2. (loosely) to mention

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Commonly Confused

See elude

Other Word Forms

• preallude verb (used without object)

Etymology

Origin of allude

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin allūdere “to play beside, make a playful allusion to,” equivalent to al- al- + lūdere “to play”

Example Sentences

And his post did attract some negative responses alluding to that, and that he was underestimating the economic damage to be wrought by spiking energy costs.

From MarketWatch

Their presence may allude to the hymn “Panis Angelicus,” or “bread of angels,” written by St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century as a poetic reference to the presence of Christ in the consecrated host.

From The Wall Street Journal

As the pictures flashed, I spotted an American flag in the room and suggested she use it as a backdrop to allude to the album.

From Los Angeles Times

Andrew Nixon, a spokesman at HHS, declined to share specifics about Kennedy’s plans but alluded to concern about people accessing peptides through the gray market.

From The Wall Street Journal

But independent investment research provider Variant Perception alludes to a looming shift in market psyche as they reckon “the next couple of days will mark ‘peak uncertainty’ about the Iran war.”

From MarketWatch