Meaning & use
allusion
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Meanings
nouncountable
An indirect reference to a person, event, or work, made without naming it directly.
Grammar: Countable: one allusion, several allusions. Usually followed by to: an allusion to Shakespeare.
Patterns
- make an allusion to something
- an allusion to someone
- a subtle allusion
Her speech contained an allusion to an old folk tale, though she never named it.
I missed the allusion to the famous court case until my teacher explained it.
noununcountableliterary
The practice of using indirect references as a literary or rhetorical technique.
Grammar: Uncountable when naming the technique itself, not one single reference.
Patterns
- rich in allusion
- use of allusion
The novel's dense allusion rewards readers who know classical mythology.
His style relies on allusion rather than direct quotation.
Word forms
| plural | allusions |
|---|
Common combinations
- make an allusion to
- The poet makes an allusion to the flood story without quoting it.
- literary allusion
- Each chapter opens with a literary allusion that sets its tone.
- classical allusion
- The painting is full of classical allusion, from the columns to the poses.
- subtle allusion
- A subtle allusion to the director's first film appears in the opening shot.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: allusion or illusion? allusion or elusion?
allusion vs illusion
Illusion means a false perception, like a magic trick; allusion means an indirect reference. They sound alike but differ in meaning.
allusion vs elusion
Elusion, the act of evading, is rare; learners usually want allusion or illusion.
Practice
The poem contains an ___ to Greek mythology that rewards careful readers.
Choose one answer.
An allusion is an indirect reference, which is exactly what the poem makes to mythology. An illusion is a false perception, elusion means evading, and allude is the verb form, not the noun needed after an.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “allusion”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.