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allude

verb
al·​lude | \ É™-ˈlüd How to pronounce allude (audio) \
alluded; alluding

Definition of allude

intransitive verb

: to make indirect reference comments alluding to an earlier discussion broadly : refer
Synonyms Usage of Allude More Example Sentences Learn More about allude

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Usage of Allude

Allude is a word with playful roots—literally. It comes from the Latin alludere, which means "to play with," and shares the root of Latin ludere ("to play") with other English words, such as ludicrous and delude. One of the former meanings of allude was "to engage in wordplay": this sense is now long obsolete.

Although some people think that allude must always specifically entail an indirect reference, this is not the case; people have been using allude in the sense of "to refer to directly" for well over a century (as in "The Man Without a Country," the short story by Edward Everett Hale from 1863: "He never alluded so directly to his story again..."). So while allude may more commonly be used in the sense of expressing something indirectly, it is neither uncommon nor improper to use it to mean something more direct.

Allude need not always be followed by the preposition to, although that is the most common construction in modern usage.

Examples of allude in a Sentence

As alluded to previously, the entire universe may actually exist in a higher-dimensional space. — Clifford A. Pickover, Surfing Through Hyperspace, 1999 Adams had alluded to slavery in 1816, when he confided to Jefferson that "there will be greater difficulties to preserve our Union, than You and I, our Fathers Brothers Friends … have had to form it." — Joseph J. Ellis, American Heritage, May/June 1993 The more challenging problems in fact—ones that the optimists rarely allude to—will be the problems of success. — Charles R. Morris, Atlantic, October 1989 Mrs. Simons alluded to some health problems, without being specific.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 The announcement didn’t bind airlines to fly all service miniature horses by law, but did allude to penalties if carriers violated the new rule, WWJ reported. — Fox News, "Miniature horse spotted by amused passenger on American Airlines flight," 2 Sep. 2019 Ford, the veteran, alluded to that showing last week when asked for a scouting report on the Bucs. — Cam Inman, The Mercury News, "Optimistic Nick Bosa motivated to make NFL debut in 49ers’ opener," 2 Sep. 2019 Xavier played with pace, turning the Spanish gyms in Madrid and Barcelona into race tracks with basketball hoops at each end, which is something Steele alluded to prior to the expedition. — Adam Baum, Cincinnati.com, "Xavier's Spanish voyage: Are the Musketeers returning a better team?," 15 Aug. 2019 Reviewers and the reading public were aware that Orlando was based on Sackville-West, and that the book’s gender-switching plot alluded to her bisexual relationships. — Suyin Haynes, Time, "What to Know About Virginia Woolf's Love Affair With Vita Sackville-West," 23 Aug. 2019 Taylor Swift has pretty much become the queen of alluding to her past work and foreshadowing her future work, whether that’s done through song lyrics, music videos, social media posts, interviews, or clothing. — Mary Elizabeth Andriotis, Teen Vogue, "Taylor Swift's New Album "Lover" Is Out and Here's All the Hidden References You Missed," 23 Aug. 2019 While police said Anghilante attacked the shop owner, the district attorney’s office alluded to Anghilante’s claim of self-defense in a statement explaining its decision to hold off on filing charges. — Pete Grieve, SFChronicle.com, "San Francisco prosecutors hold off on charging decision in truffle shop choke-hold case," 22 Aug. 2019 There have not been union mines in Eastern Kentucky for decades, but the speeches allude to the old labor wars in Harlan County. — Campbell Robertson, New York Times, "Unpaid Miners Blocked a Coal Train in Protest. Weeks Later, They’re Still There.," 19 Aug. 2019 During the first round of 11 on 11s, Callaway burst out of his break and flashed downfield, showing the good vertical speed Monken alluded to Thursday. — cleveland.com, "How Antonio Callaway looked in Day 8 of Cleveland Browns training camp," 2 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'allude.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of allude

circa 1531, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for allude

Latin alludere, literally, to play with, from ad- + ludere to play — more at ludicrous

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More Definitions for allude

allude

verb
al·​lude | \ É™-ˈlüd How to pronounce allude (audio) \
alluded; alluding

Kids Definition of allude

: to talk about or hint at without mentioning directly She only alluded to my past mistakes.

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More from Merriam-Webster on allude

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with allude

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for allude

Spanish Central: Translation of allude

Nglish: Translation of allude for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of allude for Arabic Speakers

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