illusionism

[ ih-loo-zhuh-niz-uhm ]

noun
  1. a technique of using pictorial methods in order to deceive the eye.: Compare trompe l'oeil.

  2. Philosophy. a theory or doctrine that the material world is an illusion.

Origin of illusionism

1
First recorded in 1835–45; illusion + -ism

Other words from illusionism

  • il·lu·sion·is·tic, adjective

Words Nearby illusionism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use illusionism in a sentence

  • What we are blessedly free from is the red-plush Wellsian illusionism, and the click of Mr. Bennett's cash-register finish.

    Instigations | Ezra Pound

British Dictionary definitions for illusionism

illusionism

/ (ɪˈluːʒəˌnɪzəm) /


noun
  1. philosophy the doctrine that the external world exists only in illusory sense perceptions

  2. the use of highly illusory effects in art or decoration, esp the use of perspective in painting to create an impression of three-dimensional reality

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