What is the difference between allusion, delusion, and illusion?
An allusion is a reference to something, usually an indirect reference to a statement by another or to a hint or suggestion, a passing or incidental reference. An illusion is a fanciful vision or a false impression or idea, a mental state in which one attributes reality to something unreal. Delusion is a mistaken impression or wrong idea, but the word also implies action – the action of fooling with a wrong impression or idea or the condition of being fooled or deceived. Some examples are: In an allusion to her profession, she named her cat Webster. / He suffers from the delusion that he is a great writer. / It is an illusion that the economy is in a full recovery.
