Meanings
noundelusion (countable and uncountable, plural delusions)
plural delusions
- countableuncountableAn adamant belief in a falsehood despite incontestable evidence.
- countableuncountableThat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief.
Hess, always a muddled man though not so doltish as Rosenberg, flew on his own to Britain under the delusion that he could arrange a peace settlement.
1960, William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany, New York: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, LCCN 81101072, page 8351 more example
“Project Greenlight,” however, bore down on the soft underbelly of the movie business, focusing on the delusions and colossal blunders of first-time directors, seemingly selected as much for their unlovability as their talent.
2007 May 24, Alessandra Stanley, “A Rose-Colored Reality Where Everyone Wins”, in The New York Times - countableuncountableA strong belief contrary to evidence.
Synonyms & antonyms
noun(psychology) an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary
Similar
psychotic belief
Broader
psychological statepsychological conditionmental state
nounthe act of deluding; deception by creating illusory ideas
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latindēlūsiō
- Latindēlūsiō
- Englishdelusion
Borrowed from Latin dēlūsiō. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “a direct borrowing from latin or e.g. through french?”)
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic خِدَاع, ضَلَالَة
- خِدَاع (ḵidāʕ)act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- ضَلَالَة (ḍalāla)state of being deluded or misled
- وَهْم (wahm)state of being deluded or misled
- غَرُور (ḡarūr)that which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Bulgarian заблу́да, илю́зия
- заблу́да (zablúda)act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- илю́зия (iljúzija)act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- заблу́да (zablúda)state of being deluded or misled
- заблужде́ние (zabluždénie)state of being deluded or misled
Chinese Mandarin 騙局 /骗局, 幻想
- 騙局 /骗局 (piànjú)act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- 幻想 (huànxiǎng)state of being deluded or misled
- 謬見 /谬见 (miùjiàn)state of being deluded or misled
- 錯誤信念 /错误信念 (cuòwù xìnniàn)that which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Czech blud, klam
- bludstate of being deluded or misled
- klamstate of being deluded or misled
- bludthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- klamthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- mylná představathat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- falešná představathat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- přeludthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Danish indbildning, vrangforestilling
- indbildningact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- vrangforestillingthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Dutch inbeelding, waan
- inbeeldingact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- waanstate of being deluded or misled
- waanzinstate of being deluded or misled
- waanideethat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- waanvoorstellingthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- waandenkbeeldthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- waanthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- hersenschimthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- misvattingthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Finnish harhaanjohtaminen, harhaluulo
- harhaanjohtaminenact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- harhaluulostate of being deluded or misled
- harhakuvitelmathat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
French illusion, délire
- illusionact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- délireact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- idée déliranteact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
German Täuschung, Irreführung
- Täuschungact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- Irreführungact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- Wahnstate of being deluded or misled
- Täuschungthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- Wahnvorstellungthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- Wahnthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Greek αυταπάτη, ψευδαίσθηση
- αυταπάτη (aftapáti)act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- ψευδαίσθηση (psevdaísthisi)act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- πλάνη (pláni)state of being deluded or misled
- αυταπάτη (aftapáti)state of being deluded or misled
- πλάνη (pláni)that which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- ψευδαίσθηση (psevdaísthisi)that which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Hebrew הטעיה, אשליה
- הטעיה (hat'ayá)act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- אשליה (ashlayá)state of being deluded or misled
Hindi भ्रम, भ्रमित
- भ्रम (bhram)act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- भ्रमित (bhramit)state of being deluded or misled
Indonesian bertakhayul, delusi
- bertakhayulact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- delusiact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- wahamact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- delusistate of being deluded or misled
- paranoidthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- wahamthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Irish seachrán
- seachránthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Italian illusione, convinzione errata
- illusioneact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- convinzione errataact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- illusionestate of being deluded or misled
Japanese 妄想
- 妄想 (mōsō)that which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Latin dēlūsiō, dēlūsiō
- dēlūsiōstate of being deluded or misled
- dēlūsiōthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Māori pōhēhētanga, kaihewa
- pōhēhētangaact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- kaihewaact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- pōhēhētangastate of being deluded or misled
- pōhēhētangathat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Polish złudzenie, omam
- złudzenieact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- omamact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- ułudaact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- złudaact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- przywidzenieact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- omamieniestate of being deluded or misled
Portuguese ilusão, delusão
- ilusãoact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- delusãoact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- ilusãostate of being deluded or misled
- delusãostate of being deluded or misled
- delíriothat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- delusãothat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Romanian amăgire, înșelare
- amăgireact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- înșelareact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
Russian обма́н, введе́ние в заблужде́ние
- обма́н (obmán)act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- введе́ние в заблужде́ние (vvedénije v zabluždénije)act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- заблужде́ние (zabluždénije)state of being deluded or misled
- иллю́зия (illjúzija)state of being deluded or misled
- оши́бка (ošíbka)state of being deluded or misled
Spanish engaño, ilusión
- engañoact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- ilusiónact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- deliriostate of being deluded or misled
- idea delirantethat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- deliriothat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- delusiónthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
- fatamorganathat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Turkish delüzyon, vehim
- delüzyonact of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- vehimthat which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false belief; error in belief
Ukrainian обма́н, ома́на
- обма́н (obmán)act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind
- ома́на (omána)state of being deluded or misled
- ілю́зія (iljúzija)state of being deluded or misled
- по́милка (pómylka)state of being deluded or misled
- поми́лка (pomýlka)state of being deluded or misled
Vietnamese hoang tưởng
- hoang tưởngstate of being deluded or misled
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with delusion
conclusionfusioninclusionconfusionexclusiondiffusionintrusionillusioninfusiontransfusionextrusionocclusionBelarusianseclusioneffusionallusionprofusionprotrusiondisillusionmalocclusionpreclusioncontusionVenusianabusion
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
delusion. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/delusion
MLA
“delusion.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/delusion. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “delusion,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/delusion.
Source: delusion on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.