English → Latin
“illusion” in Latin
errōto wander, rove, stray, roam; to get lost, go astray; to err, wander from the truth, to mistakepraestīgiadeception, illusion, trick; act of legerdemain, sleight of hand, magic trickfallāxdeceptive, deceitful; fallacious, spuriousfōrmaform; figure, shape, appearance; fine form; beauty; outline, plan, design
The English word illusion itself goes back to Latin lūdō, through illūsiō.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
illusion
error: praestigiae: fallacia: simulatio et fallaciae: forma, quae reapse nulla est, speciem autem offert (Cic., Div., 1, 37, 81): ludibrium oculorum (Livy, of an optical illusion): ludibria oculorum auriumque credita pro veris (Liv., 24, 44; Curt., 4, 15). An alarming optical illusion, ludibrium oculorum specie terribile.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for illusion?
- The usual Latin words for “illusion” are errō, praestīgia, fallāx; also fōrma. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.