Allusion is the citation, reference or mention, indirect and brief about something or someone.
Usually, the allusion serves as a rhetorical mechanism that helps to exemplify a certain idea, comparing it to something that is similar to it.
Example: "To explain the concept of religious intolerance, the professor alluded to Nazi ideals during World War II".
The allusion is still one of the types of intertextuality present in the Portuguese language, represented by the use of references to other works, either explicitly or implicitly, so that there is a basis for comparison in the text.
In this case, the allusion only achieves its purpose in the text if the reader has prior knowledge about the content that is being used as the object of mention.
Example: "The colors of the boy's shirt allude to the German flag".
In the example above, the interlocutor will have a better understanding of the sentence if he knows the colors of the German flag.
Etymologically, the word allusion comes from the Latin allude, which can be translated as “referring” or “playing with”.
Allusion synonyms
Some of the main synonyms of allusion, according to the different meanings of this term are:
- Mention;
- Indirect;
- Quote;
- Insinuation;
- Observation;
- Comment;
- Reference;
- Reference;
- Comparation;
- Assessment.
On the other hand, the main antonym of allusion is: omission.