illusion

About 9.51 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. noun A distortion of sensory perception where real stimuli lead to a false or misleading impression of reality.

   We saw what looked like a tiger among the trees, but it was an illusion caused by the shadows of the branches.

2. noun A misapprehension; a belief in something that is in fact not true.

   Jane has this illusion that John is in love with her.

3. noun A magician’s trick.
4. noun The state of being deceived or misled.

Similar words

deception trick head game legerdemain fancy magic trick fantasy phantasy semblance magic

Often followed by

of that and is in to which was or

Word family

illusional illusions under the illusion