Ebbinghaus illusion

noun

An optical illusion whereby a disk appears smaller if surrounded by larger disks than if by smaller.

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Meanings

nounEbbinghaus illusion (plural Ebbinghaus illusions)

plural Ebbinghaus illusions

  1. An optical illusion whereby a disk appears smaller if surrounded by larger disks than if by smaller.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
titchener circles

Origin

Named after its discoverer, the German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850–1909).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Ebbinghaus illusion. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ebbinghaus%20illusion

MLA

“Ebbinghaus illusion.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ebbinghaus%20illusion. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Ebbinghaus illusion,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ebbinghaus%20illusion.

Source: Ebbinghaus illusion on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.