: based on or producing illusion : illusory, deceptive
… that illusive shimmer of hot surface air …—
Frank Norris
Frank NorrisSome who have lain flat on the ice for a long time, looking down through the illusive medium … have seen … the undoubted source of the Styx …—Henry David Thoreau
Henry David ThoreauIt had been like the stage gauze which gives an illusive air of reality to the painted scene behind it, yet proves it, after all, to be no more than a painted scene.—Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton
illusively
adverb
… he seemed to occupy his own still pocket of space, putting Rojas in mind of the lionfish that floated in the waters of the Caribbean—so illusively delicate in appearance, so serenely poisonous.
—Tom Clancy and Martin H. Greenberg
Tom Clancy and Martin H. Greenberg
illusiveness
noun
I was … still under the impression that no one knew I was gay. They all knew and indulged me my illusions of illusiveness.
—Massoud Hayoun
Massoud Hayoun
Examples of illusive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Horror comedy is an illusive brand of humor, lots of hits and a ton of misses.
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2023
The California native was also furious that the online profile was listed close by, given his entirely virtual relationship with the illusive Carmella.
—Henry Chandonnet, Peoplemag, 3 July 2023
These are songs of worry and longing, rapturous hymnals to the fortifying qualities of booze, and elegies for the illusive wisdom we’re told is supposed to come with maturation.
—James Robins, Vulture, 1 May 2023
Happiness can be illusive.
—Tracy Brower, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023
Olympic ideals are illusive for all of us.
—Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Feb. 2022
Getting over the hump is proving ever illusive.
—G Smith, NOLA.com, 20 Nov. 2020
This book will help readers grasp the staying power and the consequences of the idea — ingrained in generations — that American history is essentially a chronicle of progress, a saga of liberty unfolding under some illusive pattern of exceptionalism and divine design.
—Washington Post, 26 June 2020
Unfortunately, teleoperation can be cumbersome, and full autonomy is often illusive.
—Erico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2023
Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2023
The California native was also furious that the online profile was listed close by, given his entirely virtual relationship with the illusive Carmella.
—Henry Chandonnet, Peoplemag, 3 July 2023
These are songs of worry and longing, rapturous hymnals to the fortifying qualities of booze, and elegies for the illusive wisdom we’re told is supposed to come with maturation.
—James Robins, Vulture, 1 May 2023
Happiness can be illusive.
—Tracy Brower, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023
Olympic ideals are illusive for all of us.
—Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Feb. 2022
Getting over the hump is proving ever illusive.
—G Smith, NOLA.com, 20 Nov. 2020
This book will help readers grasp the staying power and the consequences of the idea — ingrained in generations — that American history is essentially a chronicle of progress, a saga of liberty unfolding under some illusive pattern of exceptionalism and divine design.
—Washington Post, 26 June 2020
Unfortunately, teleoperation can be cumbersome, and full autonomy is often illusive.
—Erico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'illusive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1606, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Illusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illusive. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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