illusive en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ɪˈluːsɪv/
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin illūsīvus.
Meanings
-
Subject to or pertaining to an illusion, often used in the sense of an unrealistic expectation or an unreachable goal or outcome.
Testing software completely is an illusive goal.
[…] he could not catch the illusive thing that had sadly perplexed as well as elevated his spirit.
1912 January, Zane Grey, chapter 8, in Riders of the Purple Sage […], New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more illusive | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most illusive | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
unillusive · illusiveness · illusively