illusory

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But these contracts only make sense if you need to squeeze the most income out of your savings, and for those in that situation, full “control” over their money is largely illusory.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

Toner-Rodgers’s illusory success seems in part thanks to the dynamics he has now upset: an academic culture at MIT where high levels of trust, integrity and rigor are all—for better or worse—assumed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025

While students in Illinois tended to report the top line as longer, Zulu pastoralists in South Africa had a much weaker response, barely experiencing the illusory effects.

From Slate • Aug. 24, 2025

The participants genuinely looked determined to work out compromises that only a few weeks ago appeared illusory.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2025

Critics of Jefferson’s visionary projections, like Adams, were then accused of rejecting the ideals themselves, when in fact they were merely exposing their illusory character.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis