3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Delusion  \De*lu"sion\n.  [L.  delusio,  fr  deludere.  See 
  {Delude}.] 
  1.  The  act  of  deluding;  deception;  a  misleading  of  the  mind. 
  --Pope. 
 
  2.  The  state  of  being  deluded  or  misled. 
 
  3.  That  which  is  falsely  or  delusively  believed  or 
  propagated;  false  belief;  error  in  belief. 
 
  And  fondly  mourned  the  dear  delusion  gone.  --Prior. 
 
  Syn:  {Delusion},  {Illusion}. 
 
  Usage:  These  words  both  imply  some  deception  practiced  upon 
  the  mind.  Delusion  is  deception  from  want  of 
  knowledge;  illusion  is  deception  from  morbid 
  imagination.  An  illusion  is  a  false  show  a  mere  cheat 
  on  the  fancy  or  senses  It  is  in  other  words  some 
  idea  or  image  presented  to  the  bodily  or  mental  vision 
  which  does  not  exist  in  reality.  A  delusion  is  a  false 
  judgment,  usually  affecting  the  real  concerns  of  life. 
  Or  in  other  words  it  is  an  erroneous  view  of 
  something  which  exists  indeed,  but  has  by  no  means  the 
  qualities  or  attributes  ascribed  to  it  Thus  we  speak 
  of  the  illusions  of  fancy,  the  illusions  of  hope, 
  illusive  prospects,  illusive  appearances,  etc  In  like 
  manner,  we  speak  of  the  delusions  of  stockjobbing,  the 
  delusions  of  honorable  men,  delusive  appearances  in 
  trade  of  being  deluded  by  a  seeming  excellence.  ``A 
  fanatic,  either  religious  or  political,  is  the  subject 
  of  strong  delusions;  while  the  term  illusion  is 
  applied  solely  to  the  visions  of  an  uncontrolled 
  imagination,  the  chimerical  ideas  of  one  blinded  by 
  hope,  passion,  or  credulity,  or  lastly,  to  spectral 
  and  other  ocular  deceptions,  to  which  the  word 
  delusion  is  never  applied.''  --Whately. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  delusion 
  n  1:  an  erroneous  belief  that  is  held  in  the  face  of  evidence  to 
  the  contrary  [syn:  {psychotic  belief}] 
  2:  a  mistaken  opinion  or  idea;  "he  has  delusions  of  competence" 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  DELUSION,  n.  The  father  of  a  most  respectable  family,  comprising 
  Enthusiasm,  Affection,  Self-denial,  Faith,  Hope,  Charity  and  many 
  other  goodly  sons  and  daughters. 
 
  All  hail,  Delusion!  Were  it  not  for  thee 
  The  world  turned  topsy-turvy  we  should  see 
  For  Vice,  respectable  with  cleanly  fancies, 
  Would  fly  abandoned  Virtue's  gross  advances. 
  Mumfrey  Mappel 
 
 

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