: the use of artistic techniques (such as perspective or shading) to create the illusion of reality especially in a work of art

Examples of illusionism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The artist, who’s known for installations that combine video, sculpture and projections, has both an artistic investment in and a family connection to illusionism. Julia Halperin, New York Times, 16 May 2024 Los Angeles, where Ruscha made his career, is home to Hollywood, an inexhaustible American industry and the leading technological center of mass illusionism. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of illusionism was in 1911

Dictionary Entries Near illusionism

Cite this Entry

“Illusionism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illusionism. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.

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