illusory
adjective
il·lu·so·ry
| \ i-ˈlüs-rē
, -ˈlüz-; -ˈlü-sə-, -zə-\
, -ˈlüz-; -ˈlü-sə-, -zə-\
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Other Words from illusory
illusorily
\ i-ˈlüs-rə-lē
, -ˈlüz- ; -ˈlü-sə- , -zə- \
adverb
, -ˈlüz- ; -ˈlü-sə- , -zə- \
adverb
illusoriness
\ i-ˈlüs-rē-nəs
, -ˈlüz- ; -ˈlü-sə- , -zə- \
noun
, -ˈlüz- ; -ˈlü-sə- , -zə- \
noun
Examples of illusory in a Sentence
an illusory sense of security
Recent Examples on the Web
The federal judge said that even in some cases where community-bases services are supposed to be available, that availability is illusory. — Washington Post, "Federal judge intervenes in Mississippi mental health system," 4 Sep. 2019 But the 1950s recreational dream was illusory; by the 1970s, rising water levels, increasing salinity (the lake has no drainage outlet), and agricultural runoff began to spell doom for the holiday destination. — Jennifer Emerling, National Geographic, "Seeking silence on a California road trip," 6 Aug. 2019 Still outstanding are a two-year bonding plan to determine which state and local capital projects receive funding and a vote on highway tolls that has become more and more illusory as time wears on. — Russell Blair, courant.com, "Capitol Week in Review: Himes vs. Mueller; Hartford Democrats back Bronin," 26 July 2019 In other words, the movie becomes a clever commentary on the illusory power of the moving image, the myriad ways in which cutting-edge technology can fool the eye and mind. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ often soars, though not as much as it twists," 3 July 2019 Critics of monitors contend that their public-safety appeal is illusory: If defendants are intent on harming someone or skipping town, the bracelet, which can be easily removed with a pair of scissors, would not stop them. — Ava Kofman, ProPublica, "Digital Jail: How Electronic Monitoring Drives Defendants Into Debt," 3 July 2019 Rick Paul’s set of a silhouetted Manhattan skyline captures the austerity of the Depression, while providing the canvas for the illusory sparkle and splash of the show’s many production numbers. — nola.com, "Summer Lyric presents tap-happy love song to Broadway with ‘42nd Street’," 19 June 2019 Patterns can be illusory and the new rules based on them premature. — Joseph Reagle, Quartzy, "The psychology of self-tracking," 16 June 2019 In that case, the 3-D world is illusory in the sense that different parts of it aren’t all that independent. — Quanta Magazine, "Physicists Find a Way to See the ‘Grin’ of Quantum Gravity," 6 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'illusory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for illusory
illusory
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of illusory
formal
: based on something that is not true or real : based on an illusion
See the full definition for illusory in the English Language Learners Dictionary
illusory
adjective
il·lu·so·ry
| \ i-ˈlü-sə-rē
\
\
Kids Definition of illusory
: based on something that is not true or real
an illusory hope
illusory
adjective
il·lu·so·ry
| \ il-ˈüs-(ə-)rē
, -ˈüz-
\
, -ˈüz-
\
Medical Definition of illusory
: based on or producing illusion : being deceptive
the search for the ultimate cure-all for a hangover has proved illusory— M. L. Herndon
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illusory
adjective
il·lu·so·ry
| \ i-ˈlü-sə-rē, -zə-rē
\
\
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