delusion

[ dih-loo-zhuhn ]
/ dɪˈlu ʒən /

noun

an act or instance of deluding.
the state of being deluded.
a false belief or opinion: delusions of grandeur.
Psychiatry. a fixed false belief that is resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact: a paranoid delusion.

Origin of delusion

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin dēlūsiōn- (stem of dēlūsiō), equivalent to dēlūs(us) (past participle of dēlūdere; see delude) + -iōn- -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM delusion

de·lu·sion·al, de·lu·sion·ar·y, adjective pre·de·lu·sion, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH delusion

allusion delusion elusion hallucination illusion (see synonym study at illusion)

Example sentences from the Web for delusion

British Dictionary definitions for delusion

delusion
/ (dɪˈluːʒən) /

noun

a mistaken or misleading opinion, idea, belief, etc he has delusions of grandeur
psychiatry a belief held in the face of evidence to the contrary, that is resistant to all reason See also illusion, hallucination
the act of deluding or state of being deluded

Derived forms of delusion

Medical definitions for delusion

delusion
[ dĭ-lōōzhən ]

n.

A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness.

Other words from delusion

de•lusion•al adj.

Scientific definitions for delusion

delusion
[ dĭ-lōōzhən ]

A false belief or perception strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness, as in schizophrenia.

Cultural definitions for delusion

delusion

A false belief held despite strong evidence against it; self-deception. Delusions are common in some forms of psychosis. Because of his delusions, the literary character Don Quixote attacks a windmill, thinking it is a giant.