de|lu|sion

de|lu|sion «dih LOO zhuhn», noun.

1. a false belief or opinion: »

She was under the delusion that she could pass any test without studying for it. The belief that a pleasant personality alone will make a man successful is a delusion.

SYNONYM(S): See syn. under illusion. (Cf. ↑illusion)

2. the act of deluding. SYNONYM(S): deception.

3. the state of being deluded: »

The disappointment of manhood succeeds to the delusion of youth (Benjamin Disraeli).

4. a fixed belief maintained in spite of unquestionable evidence to the contrary. People with mental disorders, especially schizophrenics, often have delusions. »

The insane man had a delusion that he was George Washington.

╂[< Latin dēlūsiō, -ōnis < dēlūdere; see etym. under delude (Cf. ↑delude)]